P:TL 5th season By ThePTLLovers
by Pari
Summary: These are stories written by ThePTLLovers, I was a header writer on the '5th season'. There was also Percept Nancy, and Precept Rachel wrote the 6th season . Although I was a head writer it was a group effort. Can be found on yahoo group
1. Episode 1: Second Chances

**_Author's Note: Some of you fans may recall this story it was written in a serial, authored by 'ThePTLLovers' which I happened to be a part of along with Precept Nancy, and later Precept Rachel. This was our take on the 5_****_th_****_ season. There was a 6_****_th_****_ season that was also written by ThePTLLovers but I was no longer with them so I didn't write any of those stories. I did however write all of the 5_****_th_****_ season's episodes as ThePTLLovers, so I shall be posting them. I want these to be recognized as authored by ThePTLLovers, because although I was the main/head writer on every story, we all contributed to bringing the stories/series to life. On the other hand I don't want anyone thinking I stole these stories, for I did not, and one can check any of the PTL Yahoo Groups to verify that I hold ownership of these stories, and also verify when I originally posted them. Thank you._**

**Episode 1: Second Chances by ThePTLLovers **

They each stood there, staring as the place they called home, burning to the ground. They all seemed lost in despair over the loss of a man, their friend, mentor, and father-figure. The tears and smoke burned their eyes, but no one could move. They stood watching in disbelief, as their lives went up in smoke.

"Christ Nick, just how much C4 did you use?" A voice spoke from behind them. They turned to find Derek standing there, watching the blaze with them.

"Derek!" Alex screamed as she rushed to embrace him, nearly knocking him down. "God Derek, we thought you were killed." Alex said as she checked him over to make sure he was all right. Rachel and Nick joined in. Rachel gave Derek a tight hug and a kiss as she sniffed back her tears, and wiped at her eyes. Nick gave Derek a sturdy hand shake, and then pulled him into a quick embrace.

"One would think I was buried and gone, the way you all are behaving." Derek said, arching one of his brows. "I was never really in any danger."

"Well, how were we supposed to know that?" Alex said, still roaming her eyes over him, checking for cuts and bruises. "The way you were acting, we thought."

"I had gone over the edge, and done something desperate?" Derek finished. "It was essential that I acted that way. I had to make the evil believe that it had won. So it wouldn't see what I had planned, until it was too late."

"But why didn't you tell us?" Rachel asked, wiping dirt from Derek's face. "Let us help you."

"I couldn't risk it. The evil might have read your thoughts."

"You still should have given us some kind of clue as to what was going on." Nick said.

"I'm sorry that I worried you guys." Derek waited a minute before he continued. "The force that I was fighting was in the shape of my father. So you see this was not only an attack on the house, but also an attack against me. I have killed the demon, portraying itself as my father, twice now." He turned to face them. He had a forlorn expression on his face. Rachel moved closer to him, and put her arm around his shoulder to comfort him.

"It wasn't your father this time or the other time, Derek. Demons can take forms of people we love to manipulate us, in order to get what they want, you know that. Do you remember when you first met Kat and me in Ireland? How I was tricked into believing Patrick had come back to me, and that Connor had been reborn. Derek, you made me realize that it wasn't my family, just demons, trying to use me and Kat, to get the Sepulchers. This is the same thing. So, you can't beat yourself up over this, Derek." Derek nodded his head at her.

"I am sorry I worried you guys." Derek said, looking past them, to the flames.

"It was more like scared us half to death." Alex said, smiling. Her fears left her, and joy replaced them. Joy as she thought about the future, and what it would bring, joy at the thought of her and Derek, together. She embraced him once again. "Don't you ever do that to us again," Derek smiled also, as he patted her on the back, then he pulled away, leaving Alex feeling a little shunned. Derek reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.

"We need to get the cleanup crew here, before the locals arrive." Derek said, walking away to place the call.

"Yeah and you also might want to place some reservations at a hotel. We're now homeless." Nick said. Derek smiled and nodded.

"You know you guys are welcome to stay with me and Kat. We have a spare room." Rachel said.

"I'll take it. The last place I want be right now, is in some strange surrounding." Alex said.

"I don't mind crashing on the couch." Nick said. They all looked to Derek, who had finished his call, and placing the phone back in his pocket. He came back to where they were standing. "How 'bout you boss man?" Nick asked.

"Huh?" Derek looked confused.

"I was just offering my place as your temporary home." Rachel said.

"Thank you Rachel, but I'm going to stay here." Derek said.

"Here?" Alex repeated. "Where exactly?"

"The crew that's coming will be setting up camp on the ground. I asked them to bring an extra trailer for me. We have to go over every inch of the grounds for any salvageable artifacts, before they start rebuilding."

"Rebuilding? Here right in the same spot?" Nick asked, confused. "Even after what happened."

"Especially now, we must ensure that this never happens again. The Legacy built a house here, over the portal to protect it. The portal is still here, so we must rebuild."

"But I thought this would seal it forever." Rachel said, pointing at the charred remains of the house.

"Nothing's forever. We have to make sure the portal stays seal."

"Well, I'll stay too." Alex said.

"That's not necessary Alex, but thank you for offering." Derek said, smiling at her.

"But I want to stay with you." Alex said, and then realizing how it sounded, she quickly tried to recover. "I had valuable things in the house that I would like to look for too. I would also like to finish the conversation we started down in the caves." Derek knew that Alex was referring to the kiss they shared, but it was something that he couldn't get into right now.

"Alex if there's anything here to find, the crew and I will find it. As for our conversation, it will have to wait. I have more important things to do." Alex stood there, crushed by his words. She couldn't believe he was acting so cold, so distant, so much like his usual self. She suddenly had a pang of regret for ever having kissed Derek, and letting him know her true feelings for him.

"Fine, you're right the conversation wasn't important at all, so let's just forget it, and I'll go home with Rachel." Alex said a little angry at Derek's nonchalant behavior.

"Good. So it's settled. The crew should be here within the hour. I'll wait you guys can go ahead with Rachel."

"You sure you don't need me to stick around?" Nick offered.

"No Nick, but you're welcome to come back in the morning. We should have everything finished by then." Derek said. Suddenly Nick held out his hand to Derek, which contained the precept's ring.

"I think you'll need this. The damn thing doesn't even fit my finger." Nick smiled as did Derek. Derek took the ring from Nick's hand, and placed it back on his own finger. He sighed, somehow feeling whole again. As he stood there with Nick, watching as what remained of their home burnt to the ground. Derek couldn't help thinking that the worst had come, and had been defeated. Yet he could find no peace in that thought, for he knew that the world was not free from evil. He knew that there was more to be done. That this was just a battle won, but the war raged on. And that his legacy continues.


	2. Episode 2: Phoenix

**Episode 2: Phoenix by ThePTLLovers**

**London Legacy House:**

Derek sat in the hard backed wood chair trying not to yawn and was failing. He was exhausted because for the past three hours, the council had been debriefing him on the explosion and questioning his actions. He directed his attention to the balding man named, Jason who sat in front of him. "Derek, I believe that you believe you had no choice, but did you even think of the consequences? What if the explosion hadn't sealed the portal, and instead opened it fully?"

"As I said in my report, the portal had been opened and the explosion sealed it, hopefully permanently. It was a risk I had to take." Derek said to them shifting in his suddenly uncomfortable seat.

"You were almost killed!" Allison, the young, blond precept of the London house said to the Dutchman.

Running his fingers through his graying hair, Derek replied, "I knew the risks, but I didn't endanger anyone else. I knew that the others would be safe where I told them to go. I put my throat to the proverbial sword, knowing that I'd probably die." He then added, "But I didn't die so no harm done."

"How did you manage to escape harm?" Jason asked suspiciously.

"Right before the C4 detonated, I turned and ran into an adjoining room and closed the steel door. That protected me from the initial blast. Afterwards, I hurried out to make certain that the others were ok." Derek yawned and added, "I'm tired. If you don't mind too much, we'll pick this up tomorrow morning, ok?" The others nodded, and he left the room. He turned the corner at the end of the hall and bumped into Alex. She glared at him and then pushed past him silently. "Sorry." He muttered. More than anything else, Alex's silence saddened him. He knew that his words and actions right before the explosion were like giving false hope to Alex that they could have a more intimate relationship, but he had figured, he had only been saying goodbye. He told himself that he would talk to her in the morning. "But first, I need some sleep." He thought to himself.

**0000**

A few hours later, the San Francisco house members and the London house members sat eating dinner in the elegant dining room. Kat and Morgan, the teenage niece of Allison, did most of the conversating. Their cheerful chatter about the recent boy band's concert tour seemed so absurd in light of recent events that Derek had to laughed.

Everyone looked at him surprised. Laughing was something that the precept rarely did. Nick asked him, "Did we miss something?"

Derek, still smiling said," Sometimes, I've wondered if all our fighting accomplishes anything. But then I see something so pure and innocent as those two, it really puts it back into prospective." Nick and Rachel both smiled slightly, while Alex was oblivious to everything other than her dinner plate.

**Later that evening:**

Nick couldn't sleep and decided to go the kitchen for a little snack. When he got there, Allison was at the table looking over files. "Can't sleep either?" He asked her smiling.

She looked up and said, "Oh hello, Nick. No I have a lot of paper work to do, and I can't sleep when I know that I have things to do." Allison took a sip of coffee.

Nick went to the cabinets and couldn't find what he was looking for. "Hey, you guys got any cookies around here…all I see is healthy stuff." She got up from the chair and went to the cabinet over the refrigerator and took out a bag of cookies. "Morgan has a sweet tooth, and I'm trying to get her into healthier eating habits." Allison stated and Nick nodded his understandings, then they both sat down and almost ate the whole bag of cookies.

**Derek's room:**

The next morning, Derek was awoken by the sound of laughter. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and swung his feet to the floor. He pulled them up fast and looked down to find a small pan of water with ice cubes in it. He heard barely contained laughter coming from the closet. Limping slightly from the cold shock to his feet, he walked over to the closet and threw open the door, but there was no one there. He looked around the room and saw that the pan of was gone except for a quickly drying pool of water on the floor. "What on earth?" He muttered and went to tell the others.

Derek walked into the kitchen and spotted Kat eating a bowl of cereal. "Hi, Derek." She greeted with her mouth full of cereal. She looked at the disheveled and slightly confused precept and asked, "What's the matter?"

He shook his head to clear it. "Nothing for you to worry about Kat," He answered with a smile. "Where's your mom?"

"Upstairs in the library. She's helping with some reports."

"Thank you, Kat." He said and went upstairs to find Rachel. When he opened the library doors, the conversation between Rachel and several members of London house stopped instantly. Derek felt awkward and judging by their looks he figured they must have been discussing him. "I'm sorry, am I interrupting something?"

"No." Rachel said hurriedly. "We were just talking." She turned to the London house members and said, "If you will excuse me…" They nodded and Rachel and Derek left, with Rachel closing the door behind them.

"We need to talk…all of us. Where are Alex and Nick?" He asked shortly.

"They're getting ready to take Kat sight seeing. She has been bugging them about being bored, so they decided to take her." Rachel said as she rung her hands feeling very uneasy around him, having just been discussing him to the other members of the London house.

"I just talked to Kat in the kitchen, and she didn't say anything about it." Derek said to her. He had a feeling that she was lying to him about something.

"It's a surprise." She stated.

"Well, it can wait. I need to talk to you all together." Derek said, annoyance causing his usually soft Dutch accent to get harsh.

"Whatever it is you can tell me about it." Rachel said looking more serious now. Derek thought a moment then spoke.

"Last night there was some one in my room. In my closet to be exact…it sounded like a child laughing, but when I went to investigate there was no one there. There was also a pool of water on the floor and then it disappeared."

"What do you mean disappeared?" Rachel asked incredulously.

"As in not there and then it wasn't," He said.

"So let me see if I have this right…" She began. "You heard laughter, stepped in a pool of cold water, went over to where the laughter was coming from, and there was nothing there. Then the water was gone. Derek that seems a little unbelievable, but considering what has happened lately, are you sure you didn't just imagine it? We've all been under a lot of stress lately…you most all." Rachel looked at his face, which she noticed was haggard.

"I…did…not…imagine…it." Derek said through clenched teeth. "Just because we sealed the portal, it doesn't mean that evil stops. It keeps coming!"

"Calm down, Derek." She said. "I have to visit a friend of mine, but I'll have Nick go talk to Allison and see if the cameras caught anything. In the meantime, why don't you take Kat sight seeing? She really wanted to get out and see the sites. It might also do you some good to get out of the house."

Derek nodded, and they both went their separate ways. Rachel went in search of Nick, and Derek in search of Kat.

**A short while later:**

Nick and Allison sat in the control room. Nick played the video taken from the surveillance camera in Derek's room as Rachel requested. He slowed it down to ¼ speed and watched Derek's foot slowly descend to the floor, pausing it, he zoomed in to where Derek's foot touched, but there was nothing there. "Nothing, there's nothing there. No abnormal heat readings in the room, no magnetic abnormalities…nothing out of place!" Nick as he tapped his fingers against the computer terminal. Allison began to massage his neck.

"Relax. Maybe it's something our sensors couldn't pick up. Something tells me that this won't be an isolated occurrence. All we have to do is make sure we get something on it next time." She was leaning close to him, and the smell of her herbal shampoo wafted in Nick's nose. He looked at her gently.

"I guess." He sighed and looked into her blue eyes. "You have beautiful eyes." He stated, and she took this as an invitation and did what she had wanted to do since the first day she met him, she pressed her lips against. Nick felt uncomfortable by the fact that the London House precept was kissed him. He gently pushed her back.

"Whoa, we shouldn't be doing this." He said as he wiped his lips dry.

"Did I miss something? I thought this is what you wanted." She said feeling a little hurt and rejected. "The way you've been coming on to me, I thought…"

"Time out, Allison," He said looking her directly in the eyes. "I did not come onto you." He got up and was ready to leave the room.

Allison glared at him. "What's up with that comment…you have beautiful eyes?" She folded her hands against her chest.

"I was paying you a compliment…you do have pretty eyes." He said to her and then left the control room. She felt foolish for taking the compliment as something more and for throwing herself at Nick. She stood up and left the room and headed for her office.

**London later that afternoon:**

Kat ran up ahead of Derek, who smiled at the girl's enthusiasm. Getting out and seeing the city had dispelled the lingering anger he had been feeling, and for once he could just relax and enjoy himself. They had seen the Tower of London, Winchester Abby, and have course, London Bridge. They were walking back to the house when Kat stopped and look fearfully at him. "What is it?" Derek asked her.

"We have to get back to the house." was all she said and began running the last few blocks to the towering spires of the London house. Derek followed confused.

**0000**

Alex was sitting in the library staring out at the city below. Rachel walked in and sat down next to her. "Hey. What's with the long face?"

"Nothing…just thinking." Alex said sadly. Rachel looked at her doubtfully, and Alex said, "I'm just a little down."

"That's understandable. You've been under stress, all of us have, and it's seems like it's going to get worse before it gets better." Rachel said to her Alex, who gave her a look seeking an explanation. "Well," Rachel hesitated, "Have you noticed that Derek has been acting odd for the last few weeks, even before the explosion?" Alex nodded and Rachel continued, "I was talking with Jason and several members of this house, and they think there might be something wrong with him. The erratic behavior, rapid mood swings, sleeplessness, hallucinations…" Alex nodded. "They asked me to tell you and Nick to be careful and keep an eye on him."

"Do you think he might be…dangerous?" Alex asked frightened for Derek more than her self.

"No, not to others. If I had, I wouldn't have let Kat go with him. But he might be to himself. There's a camera in his room, and it's being monitored, so that if anything happens we can help."

Kat ran through the corridors, Derek trailing on her heels. She ran into the library. Alex and Rachel stood up alarmed. "What is it?" Rachel asked panicked.

"I saw Derek in trouble. The little boy hurt him!" She said hurriedly. Alex glanced at Derek with a concerned look on her face.

"Calm down." She said to Kat. "What exactly did you see?"

Kat thought for a moment. "A little boy, like 11 or 12. I'm not sure. He had brown hair, and he seemed scared at first then angry. He hit Derek with something sharp. I think a knife." Kat began to cry, and Rachel hugged her reassuringly.

While Rachel tried to comfort the young girl, Derek stared off into space. "If Kat's vision is true," He thought to himself, "I must be alert, must not let the vision come true." Derek repeated this several times in his mind growing more determined each time.

That evening, Alex was sitting in one of the sitting rooms reading a book, which Rachel had recommended on mental disorders when Derek came in. He sat down by her, and she hurriedly stashed the book under the cream colored pillow next to her.

"Hi, Alex. What are you reading?" He asked, and Alex shrank away from him.

"I need to go." She said as she stood up and stormed out of the room. Derek sat back frustrated. Derek knew why Alex had been acting cold towards him, but he decided to let her come to him when she was ready. He didn't want to push the issue and alienate her further. He reached under the pillow and looked at the book she had been reading. "Mental disorders!" He thought, "Now, why would she be reading a book on mental disorders?"

Derek and Kat were sitting in the media room watching TV when Rachel came in. "Kat," She said, "I need to talk with Derek for a moment, in private." Kat nodded and left. Rachel sat down next to him but seemed edgy.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Derek asked, "What did you want to talk about?"

"How are you feeling?" She asked nervously.

"I'm fine and you?" Derek said knowing that wasn't really what she wanted to talk about.

"Ok. Derek, I was talking with Alex and some of the others, and well, we're concerned about you." Rachel admitted.

"Concerned?" He queried.

"Well…you've been acting odd lately. You've hardly slept; you've been irritable one minute, then laughing the next. It's not normal, even for you!" She and as she tucked a stray blond lock behind her ear.

"Rachel, I know. Look, I appreciate your concern, but I'm ok. We have a much bigger problem at hand. The spirit in my room might be the same one as in Kat's vision, and if it is…" Derek trailed off looking behind Rachel at a young girl, who just smiled at him.

"What?" She asked and turned but didn't see anything.

He shook his head. "Nothing, just thinking." He lied, but his mind was spinning. Rachel looked at him suspiciously and said, "Well, a friend of mine is coming over tomorrow. I would appreciate it if you would talk to him."

"Why?" He queried.

"He's a psychiatrist too, and I thought that you might need someone outside of our group to talk to." She told him.

He looked at her in askance. "Rachel, how many times do I have to tell you, I'm fine?" He shouted and Rachel cowered back a bit.

"That's exactly it, Derek. You are acting way beyond weird and if you don't get back to acting like yourself…" She trailed off.

"What?" He asked.

"They're going to relieve you of your precept duties." She said in a soft voice.

He ran his fingers through his graying hair as he said, "I'm not crazy, Rachel. I've been a good precept, haven't I?" Derek leaned back stunned by what she had told him.

She played with her gold pendent necklace. "Yes, you are a good precept, Derek. You are having mood swings and your judgment isn't what it used to be. You could put our lives in jeopardy with out realizing it." Rachel said as she got up from the Victorian couch. "Derek, it's not a foregone conclusion. They want you to talk to an independent psychiatrist, one who won't be biased. Just talk to him. That's it." She told the stunned precept.

"All right." He said. "Do you think I'm crazy?"

She pushed the errant piece of hair back again before saying, "There are so many factors, but I do know something abnormal is going on in your head. It might be stress or something more serious. Whatever it is, we've got to get it taken care of." He nodded. Rachel put her hand on his back reassuringly and then left the room.

Derek sat on the couch thinking. "_They are going to relieve me as precept. I have given my life to the Legacy. I haven't even been able to have lasting relationships because of the secrecy."_ He got up from the couch and headed for his room. He was fatigued by the day's events.

**Derek's Room early the next morning:**

He heard laughter again, but this time it was louder than before. "_What the hell is going on here?"_ He thought to himself as he swung his feet to the side of the poster bed. This time his feet landed in a pan of hot water. "Aw…www!" He screamed clutching his foot in pain. Derek heard the laughter again, and it sounded like it was coming from the closet like the day before. He opened the brown door and saw nothing. Derek walked over to the bed and found that the pan containing the hot water was gone as well. He decided it was best not to mention this to anyone after what Rachel had told him about being stripped of his precept duties.

**The control room later that morning:**

Jason was showing Rachel the tape from the camera in Derek's room from earlier. "He looks dazed and confused. Mike Roberts, a friend of mine, is coming by the house this afternoon, and I would like to show him this tape…if you wouldn't mind." she said to the balding man.

"By all means show your friend the tape, Rachel." He said as he was leaving the room. Nick entered the room.

"Hi, Rach. What are you up to?" He asked looking at the screen.

"Hi, Nick. I'm looking over what the camera picked up in Derek's room."

"I've been meaning to ask you about that, why is the camera turned on in his room? I can't believe you think he's a danger to himself." Nick said to the blond woman standing before him.

She showed Nick the tape. "Does that seem like normal behavior to you?" Rachel asked as she pointed to the monitor.

"Maybe his foot fell asleep…could be why he screamed. So he looked in the closet, big deal." He smiled.

"But he checked the floor several times before he got back into bed." She stated.

"That doesn't make him crazy, Rach." Nick said to his friend. "Maybe he saw a bug on the floor."

"Well, you and Allison checked the video tape yesterday and found nothing unusual in his room. You have to face the fact that Derek isn't dealing with a full deck these days, Nick. He could be delusional or suffering from hallucinations." Rachel stated as she was leaving the control room to go find Kat. Nick followed her he wasn't ready to end the discussion.

"Just because we didn't find something yesterday, doesn't mean that there isn't any spirit hanging around this place, Rachel." He said still defending Derek.

"Well, lets hope you find something fast because whatever it is; it's getting to Derek. I'm afraid that it'll send him over the edge." Rachel said as she climbed up the grand staircase to go find her daughter.

**The Parlor later in the day:**

Alex was sitting on the Victorian couch reading a novel when she felt something touch her shoulder, she turned around, but nothing was there. Alex then heard laughter coming from behind the sofa. She quickly stood up and saw nothing there. She ran her fingers through her black curly locks in bafflement. "_I must be loosing my mind as well._" She thought to herself. Nick walked in the room and noticed the peculiar look on Alex's face.

"Hey, Alex, you ok?" He asked concerned.

"Something just touched my shoulder…I turned around and nothing was there. Then I heard laughter coming from behind the couch again nothing was there." She replied. Alex had a far away look on her face, which Nick noticed.

"What do you see, Alex?"

"I see a little girl with long brown hair wearing a pink party dress…must be seven or eight. She's running around the room like someone is chasing her." Alex said as a shiver went through her body. "I now see a boy about twelve with brown hair in a blue suit. In his hand, is a long knife… he stabs the little girl." Rachel then re-entered the sun lit room.

"Hey guys. What's up?" She asked looking at her friends. Rachel noticed that Alex wasn't looking right. "Are you feeling ok, Alex?" She asked moving towards the younger woman.

"I'm fine, Rachel. I just saw something that's all."

"What did you see?"

She twirled a piece of her long curly hair around her finger. "I saw a little girl seven or eight with long brown hair wearing a pink ruffled party dress. Then I saw a boy about twelve with brown hair as well, dressed up. He had a long knife in his hand, and he stabbed the little girl."

"Well, that proves that Derek isn't crazy after all, huh, Rachel?" Nick stated.

"Dr. Roberts is talking to Derek as we speak, Nick." She said to her young colleagues as she looked out the stain glass window. Rachel turned and faced them again. "The fact that Alex saw something is a good sign…that Derek isn't hallucinating."

Alex looked at Rachel then Nick. "What I don't understand is why the surveillance tapes didn't pick up any abnormalities with the heat sensors or magnetic field of energy."

"Well, the first tape didn't show anything in Derek's room, but Rachel didn't check the second one from his room for any unusual readings." Nick stated to Alex.

"Then let's have a look at the second one…maybe something showed up." Alex said as she was heading for the control room. Rachel and Nick followed right behind her. Allison was in the room when they got there. When Allison saw Nick walk in, she quickly stood to leave. She couldn't face him after she had made a fool of herself earlier.

"Hey Allison, we're not interrupting anything important I hope." Alex said as she walked up and sat in a chair beside Allison.

"Oh no, I was reading over the weekly report, and this is the only place I can do it in peace." Allison smiled. She nervously slid her hair behind her ears, trying hard to avoid Nick's gaze. Nick could sense the tension in her and knew what was causing it.

"So a precept's life isn't as glamorous as it seems. You guys actually do work." Nick said smiling at Allison hoping to smooth things between them. Allison smiled back glad that he seemed to have forgotten her earlier act.

"Yes, we do, although sometimes, I can't make head or tails out of it."

"What do you do when that happens?" Alex added with a chuckle.

"I read then re-read until it makes sense to me." Allison said. "Being that I'm the youngest precept within the foundation, and a woman to boot. I have to work twice as hard to get the respect from the other precepts…all of them except for Derek that is. He's the only one who never looked down on me and always acknowledged and respected my opinions on things."

"Speaking of Derek, we should get back to the task at hand." Alex said starting to pull up the video archives. Rachel and Nick both moved behind her looking over her shoulders.

"What are you guys looking for?" Allison inquired as she looked on.

"For evidence to attest to Derek's sanity. Alex had a vision, which supports what Derek has been saying about seeing a little girl." Rachel said.

"That's what the whole investigation is really about and not about the explosion? I don't understand." Allison said.

"You mean to say that you haven't found Derek's behavior, of late, to be a little unusual?" Rachel asked.

"No. I mean I heard the other precepts talking about Derek seeing and hearing a ghost of a little girl, but I just assumed it was from being in this house again." Allison said, then seeing the confused looks from the others, went on explaining. "Didn't you guys know that Derek grew up in this house as a child? For a time, his father, Winston was a precept here. That is until Derek's baby sister, Danielle, was killed."

"His baby sister, Danielle?" Alex said shocked. "I thought that Ingrid was his only sibling."

"No, Winston and Barbara had another child after Ingrid and Derek. It's all in our records. Derek never told any of you about it?" She asked.

"No, not a word." Rachel said. Then she looked at Nick and Alex.

"He never said anything to me." Alex said.

"Me either." Nick added.

"Now, that, I find odd." Allison said as she walked towards the exit. She disappeared through the wall, leaving Nick, Alex, and Rachel to start a new search, but this time in the house records.

Alex started to type away, and the information that she was looking for appeared on the screen. "Danielle was two years younger than Derek…five years younger than Ingrid." She stated to Nick and Rachel.

"Why wouldn't he tell us he had another sister?" Nick said shaking his head in disbelief.

"I'm sure he had his reasons for not telling us about Danielle." Rachel replied. "Is there any mention in the reports on how she died, Alex?"

"Yes, there was a birthday party for Todd Walters, son of Joshua Walters, who was a good friend of Winston's. Todd for his twelfth birthday received a knife with the symbol of a Phoenix on it. He was playing with it after his parents and Derek's father told him not to. Derek chased his sister into the playroom and tickled her. Danielle ran away from him and ran straight into the knife. She died two days later on Derek's tenth birthday." Alex said as the tears welled up in her eyes.

Nick asked, "Do you think she blames Derek for her death?"

Rachel paced back and forth. "She could blame him. Derek could also blame himself…could be why he never mentioned having another sibling."

**Derek's room later that afternoon:**

After meeting with Dr. Roberts, he decided to go back to his room and take a nap. Derek had a dream about a little girl in a pink party dress running into a knife. He saw a little boy, who looked like himself watching the whole thing in horror. Derek woke up from his dream screaming, "Danielle" over and over. He heard laughter coming from the closet this time it didn't sound innocent or like a little girl; it sounded menacing. Derek got off of the poster bed and went over to the closet and opened the door. He saw a little boy about twelve years old holding a knife in his hands laughing in an evil manner. Derek remembered seeing that boy with the same knife a long time ago…the day his little sister was injured. He also remembered the boy teasing him and Danielle with a knife countless times. Derek told his father about it, but Winston didn't pay any attention to what he was saying…figured that Derek was getting back at him for the teasing that occurred.

The little boy leapt out of the closet and grabbed Derek by the throat. "It was you that I wanted dead; not your sister. Yes, I enjoyed scaring her with the knives, but I did not want her dead. It was you that I wanted, and now I will to kill you, Derek Rayne. You thought you were better than me because you had the sight." He said as he let go off Derek's neck. He raised the knife and was about to slam it into Derek's chest. The two struggled for the knife. Derek got the knife and put it into the little boy's chest. A red light surrounded the boy, he and the knife were gone. Derek jumped to his feet and hurried out of the room. He headed to the control room. He knew that the others were in bed and he would be alone. Once inside the control room, Derek sat at the terminal and typed in the name Todd Walters. A news article came up about a young boy falling into a well and dying. The boy was Todd Walters, and the well he fell in was the one behind the London house. Suddenly, Derek remembered the events that happened the day his little sister was injured and knew why Todd had come back. Derek also knew what he had to do to stop him, but he'd need the others' help.

**The next morning:**

Derek called Nick, Rachel, and Alex to the control room wanting to tell them about what he had discovered. Once everyone arrived, he started.

"I know where the voices and visions are coming from." Derek started as Rachel cut in.

"Does it have to do with your baby sister, and the way she died?" Derek looked at her surprised.

"You know, but how?" Derek asked.

"Allison mentioned it last night, and we went through the house records and filled in the rest." Rachel explained. "What we don't understand is why you didn't tell us."

"To be honest, I had no memory of it. I must have blocked it out…that is until last night."

"What happened last night?" Nick asked.

"I got a visit from a boy I knew as a child. His name is Todd Walters. He's the cause of what I've been hearing and seeing, I know that now."

"Wait, why does that name sound familiar?" Alex said.

"He was holding the knife when my sister ran into it. He told me last night that it was an accident. That he was coming into the room to kill me. He never meant to harm Danielle."

"To kill you, but why?" Alex asked.

"He hated me because I had the sight. I can remember when he and his father came over; his father was always comparing us. Always telling Todd that he wished he was more like me."

"Wait a minute, you said that he spoke to you last night. How did he get into the house?" Nick asked thinking that the house's defense system was a little old and needed a good tune-up.

"No, his spirit came to me. Todd died the same day my sister was injured. He ran away afterwards. Partly because I threatened to kill him… but mostly because he feared what his father would do to him. He ran into the woods behind this very house and fell into an abandoned well. His neck was broken before he hit the bottom of the well." Derek said glumly.

"And now his spirit blames you for everything?" Alex added. Derek nodded his head.

"So how do we stop him?" Nick asked folding his arms across his chest.

"We have to find the knife and destroy it. The knife has an image of a Phoenix on it." Derek answered. "And my guess is that it is kept somewhere here in this house, which is why I need your help."

"So you want us to sweep the house. Well, I'll start in the basement." Nick volunteered.

"And I'll get the attic." Alex said. Derek smiled at the fact that no matter what happens, his friends are always there to help him…especially Alex, who he had been brushing off lately.

"That leaves the rest of the house for you and I, Rachel." They all nodded and headed out on their quest. After hours of unsuccessfully searching, Derek and the others met back in the control room.

"There was nothing…the house is absolutely clean. I found several daggers, but none with a Phoenix on it." Nick said.

"Rachel and I came up with nothing also. How about you, Alex?" Derek asked as they all looked at her. She just shook her head.

"Nothing." She said then after a moments thought, she said, "Is it possible that Todd had the knife on him when he fell into the well?" Suddenly a smile came across Derek's face.

"Of course, I don't know how I over looked that." After Nick went to get the climbing gear, they all went outside. With Derek leading the way, they headed for the well. Nick volunteered to venture down into the well in search of the knife.

"Can you see anything, Nick?" Derek called down to him.

"Not yet, but I'm almost to the bottom." Nick called back. Then the flashlight, which Nick was aiming down the well, reflected off of something. "Wait, I think I found something." Nick had reached the bottom of the well and lying there was a knife. It looked brand new, and Nick picked it up. "I've got it, and I'm coming back up." After Nick had made his way back up and out of the well, he handed Derek the knife.

"That's mine. Give it back, Derek." The voice of a boy came from behind them. They all turned and found a young boy standing there. Rachel and Alex were surprised and relieved to finally see what Derek had claimed to be seeing all along. They now knew that their precept and friend was of sound mind.

"Todd, the only way for you to find peace, is to let me destroy the knife."

"I'll rest in peace after I kill you. That's how it's supposed to be. Danielle shouldn't have gotten hurt. It was supposed to be you!" Todd yelled angrily. He reached out his hand, and the knife shot out of Derek's hands into his. Todd smiled devilishly, raised the knife above his head. "Now, I'll set things right." He moved to Derek but a blinding light came between them, and then the spirit of a little girl stood there.

"Come play with me, Todd. Come play." The girl said reaching out her hand to him.

"You want me to play with you?" Todd asked dropping the knife. The girl nodded. "So, you're not mad at me for killing you?" The girl shook her head no.

"It was an accident." She said to Todd then turned to Derek. "It was no one's fault…just an accident." Derek fell to his knees crying as he looked at his sister. He knew that he didn't need his sister's forgiveness, because she never blamed him for her death. That all these years he had blocked the memories of her because he blamed himself for her death. He felt that he should have done a better job as a big brother and protected her better. It became apparent to him that she was there to help him and Todd to both forgive themselves. "Come on, Todd. I want to play hide and go seek." Todd took the girl's hand then turned to Derek and gave him an angelic smile and then the two spirits disappeared. Derek knew Todd's smile was to say that he was sorry and that everything was OK now, Todd had found his peace, and that he, himself had found some peace of mind.

**Fin**


	3. Episode 3: Ying-Yang

**Episode 3: Ying-Yang**

**Angel Island, San Francisco, present day**

In the brightly lit control room, Nick was teaching Derek how to use the new security cameras and monitors, which were installed since security was Nick's specialty. As he was about to type something into the computer, the lights in the room and the images on the control panel began to flicker. "What the hell's going on here? I thought that the electricians finally fixed the faulty wiring when this place was rebuilt." He said to Derek in an angry tone.

He looked at the young man sitting next to him and said, "Calm down, Nick. There's no need to get so worked up." Suddenly everything went back to normal. "See, Nick, it was nothing." The precept said to his colleague.

"Everything is so different." Nick said, staring around the room. "I don't know why, but I expected everything to be built exactly the same way as it was. Don't get me wrong, having these new state of the art computers, security cameras, and field devices are cool."

"I'm glad you like it. I requested it all because you used to complain about how pre-historic our old control room was." Derek said.

"It's nice, but I don't know it's like being in someone else's house." Derek understood what Nick was saying. He too was finding it hard to adjust to their new surroundings. The only person, who seemed to love it, was Kat. Suddenly a voice called out.

"Dr. Rayne, you have a call from Moscow House." The artificial voice was another new gadget. It was a system that the Legacy planned to install in all of the houses; the San Francisco House was just the first. They called the voice, Eve, since she was the first of her kind.

"And that's another thing, the house talks now. We have a talking house." Nick repeated as Derek smiled at him. "I nearly had a heart attack when it first spoke to me."

"Shall I take a message, Dr. Rayne?" The voice interrupted.

"No, Eve, transfer the call to my office. I'll take it from there." Derek said, heading to his office, which now adjoined the control room. "Thank you, Eve."

"You're welcome, Dr. Rayne. Hello, Nick." Eve now spoke in a seductive tone. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Yeah go away." Nick retorted.

"Sure thing, Nick, but if you need anything, you just whistle, you know put your lips together and blow."

"You know Nick I think she's kind of sweet on you." Derek teased as her threw Nick a smile.

"And I wonder who the wise guy who had her programmed that way." Nick said, looking at Derek suspiciously. Derek arched his brow.

"I have no idea." He lied and with a smile on his face left the room.

"Right," Nick called after him.

**Berkeley University**

Eighteen year old, Kelly Mitchell greeted her ten friends at the door. They had been friends since fourth grade and decided to go to the same college together. "Hi, guys lovely evening for conjuring up the Chinese Gods." She said as her friends entered her Wiccan decorated room. The smell of jasmine greeted them when the entered the dimly lit room. New age music was playing softly in the background. Kelly thought that candle light and soft music would help them to concentrate on the task at hand.

After every one was in her room, she asked, "Are we ready to do the ritual?" Her friends nodded their heads. Kelly then continued, "Good. We have to sit on the floor on pillows holding the crystals in our hands. We also have to wear our crystal necklace. Crystals are supposed to have some sort of power. If this goes according to what Professor Montgomery taught us in class, our  
lives will change forever. We'll have a lot of power." She handed her friends a large crystal and then she put a crystal necklace on each of them.

Kelly and the others sat down on the Oriental pillows Indian style holding the crystals in their hands. Kelly closed her enormous blue eyes and started chanting Chinese phrases to conjure up the Gods of fire, destruction, earth, and water. A soft breeze entered the room soon after she began chanting. When her friends felt the soft breeze on their faces, they closed their eyes for they believed it was a sign. The chanting started out very quietly at first and then started to get louder and louder as Kelly and her chums got into the ritual. They were so loud that the music from the CD player could no longer be heard. With each word the group chanted, the breeze intensified to a howling wind, the flames from the candles began dancing around the room. The crystals shattered in their hands and a vibrating sensation entered their. The mirrors in the room  
and windows shattered as well. Before the ceremony took place, it was a cold and clear late autumn night with a full moon, but all that had changed very quickly, as dark storm clouds rolled in from the east and the heavens opened up outside and inside Kelly's room.

**San Francisco**

Alex was sitting at the table on the upper level of the library writing in her journal her feelings about Derek and the Legacy. He was the real reason why she joined the organization in the first  
place. She was starting to resent the fact that she was hardly ever out in the field. Alex stopped writing for a couple of minutes to think about what she was going to write next. She looked in the direction of the fireplace, and the amber flames were dancing around the fireplace and the room. This preoccupied her so much that she didn't hear Nick and Derek enter the room. Nick waved his hand in front of Alex's brown eyes and said, "Earth to Alex!"

It took her a moment to focus before she spoke to her friend, "Hi, Nick. I didn't hear you come in."

Nick said with a smirk on his face, "Did ya have too much wine with dinner that you're so spacey?"

"Very funny, Nick." She said as she slapped him on the arm in a playful way. Alex then continued, "I thought I saw flames dancing around the fireplace and the room."

Derek looked at her with his brow arched and said, "You what, are you feeling okay, Alex?"

"I'm fine, Derek, no need for you to worry about me." She said to him with little expression. Alex was still hurt by the fact that he didn't think it was important to finish the conversation, which they had had down in the caves the night of the explosion. When they were in London, there was no time to discuss the kiss, but ever since returning home Derek had acted as if none of it had happened.

"Rachel will come by the house tomorrow. I want you to speak to her, Alex." He said to her still looking at her face, which he noticed was gaunt.

"I'm just tired, Derek. That's all it is. I don't need to speak to Rachel." She replied back to him in a nasty tone. Derek was about to say something, when all of a sudden, books started to fly off of the book self and the room started to shake. Nick and the others ducked under the table for protection.

**Berkeley University**

Stacie Rhodes was the first one to open her eyes after the ceremony was completed. The cold howling wind and the water from the sprinkler system broke her concentration. She also felt the broken crystal digging into her flesh. "Oh my gosh! Look at this place! I think it worked, Kelly." Stacie squealed in delight. The rest of the gang opened their eyes after they heard her speak. They were all amazed at the damage that had been done to Kelly's room.

"I guess I won't be getting my $100 deposit back at the end of the semester." She said in a joking manner. Her friends laughed at her comment since they knew that their friend didn't have to worry about money. Kelly Mitchell came from a very wealthy and well-known family.

Tall and slender, Remy Black was trembling from the cold and the water. She said to the others, "Let's get out of here, you guys. It's wet and freezing in here. Besides, everyone will be coming back from the movies and the frat parties."

"Yeah, she's right, you guys let's get outta here before everyone gets back. We can go to my room." Karen Carlson said as she rubbed her arms to warm herself up. They all left Kelly's and headed for Karen's dorm. Four shadows with crimson eyes followed them.

**San Francisco-The next morning**

Rachel was on her way to the control room when she spotted Alex picking up books off of the library's floor. "What the hell happened here? Is Derek acting crazy again?" She asked Alex.

Alex turned around and said to the older woman, "There was an earthquake last night followed by a thunderstorm."

Rachel noticed that the spark, which was normally in Alex's eyes, was gone. She also noticed that Alex had lost weight and looked worn out. Rachel walked over to where her friend was standing and touched her on the arm. She then said, "Alex, honey, those books can wait. I  
want to talk to you. I didn't push you into talking in London what with Derek and the whole ghost business, are you feeling okay, honey?"

"I'm fine, Rachel." She said to her with little energy.

"You don't seem fine to me. You've lost weight and seem upset. Alex, honey, you haven't been yourself since the night the house burnt to the ground. When we were in London, you were pretty quiet and kept to yourself. I'm worried about you, Alex, sweetie. Do you want to talk  
about it?" She asked Alex using her shrink tone.

Alex took a deep breath before she said to the blond, "The night of the explosion, I kissed Derek when we were in the caves. He told me that if he had not been my mentor in graduate school, he  
would have asked me out on a date. I said to him that he was only saying that to make me feel better about myself, and he said that it was true about asking me out, and then I kissed him. I wanted to finish our conversation that night alone while looking for artifacts, but he didn't want me around. He told me that the conversation would have to wait…more important things."

Rachel reassuringly rubbed her friend's hand. She then said, "I was there, and I didn't understand why you wanted to be with him or why you wanted to finish a conversation when the house was in ruins. Now, I understand. I think you should talk to Derek, Alex. You need to resolve the matter before you make yourself sick. Alex, you have to find out how Derek feels about you."

"It's so hard to talk to him now, Rachel. I want to bring up the subject, but I'm afraid that he'll reject me and I don't know if I can handle that." She said looking down at the floor. "Beside he's been avoiding the topic, acting as if none of it ever happened."

"Alex, you have to make him talk to you. Tell him that you won't accept, `not now' as an answer." She advised the young woman. Alex nodded her head, she knew she couldn't go on the way she had and so she left the library to go find Derek.

**Derek's Study**

He was playing the piano, which relaxed him when he was nervous, when Alex entered the room. "Derek, can I speak to you?" She asked the Dutchman.

Not looking up, he said, "Yes, Alex, what do you want to talk about?" He was hoping that she wouldn't want to talk about their conversation in the caves or the kiss that they shared there.

"I was hoping we could finish our talk." Alex said. She could see Derek's jaw clinch as if he was bracing himself for pain. He wanted her to discuss what happened in the caves when they were in London, but she never did come to him. Derek didn't want to hurt Alex…the thought of doing that pained him deeply. It became obvious to Alex that Derek didn't want to discuss the matter, but she went on. "Derek, how do you feel about me? About the kiss we shared?" She asked him  
hoping that he would tell her that he loved her.

"Alex." Derek stopped playing and turned his attention to her. "You are an attractive young lady, who belongs with someone your own age. I care about you but only as a friend." He paused seeing the hurt in Alex's eyes. He didn't want to cause her pain, but he had to continue, to make her understand that his job wouldn't allow for them to be together no matter how much he may want to. "We got caught up in the moment, and I think that's why you kissed me.

"I kissed you? As I recall, your tongue was in my mouth also." Alex jumped in angry that he was acting like she seduced him.

"Alex, that night our emotions were in high gear. We got caught up in the moment, and under normal circumstances, we never would have kissed. If you misunderstood it to be something more, I'm sorry." He said noticing the hurt and disappointment in her eyes.

"I see. I guess you're right, Derek. I got caught up in the moment. Well, I'm glad we had this talk and cleared things up. Sorry for bothering you." She said and then walked out of the room. Alex ran up the stairs heading to her room nearly knocking Nick down as he passed on his way down to find Derek.

"Whoa, where's the fire?" Nick asked jokingly, but he then noticed the tears in Alex's eyes, slowly rolling down her cheeks. "Hey, Alex, are you ok?" Alex didn't answer. She ran into her room slamming the door behind her where she threw herself on the bed and cried her eyes out. Nick stared after her for a moment before he followed the music to the study.

"Hey Derek, did you and Alex have some kind of fight? She just ran past me crying her eyes out." Nick said. Derek never took his eyes off of the keys.

"We had a little misunderstanding, but I cleared it up." Derek answered.

"What kind of misunderstanding?" Nick probed further. There was one thing he couldn't stand and that was seeing Alex cry. At that moment, Rachel entered the room.

"Hey guys. What's up?" Rachel asked smiling at her friends.

"Well, I was just asking Derek what he did to Alex that upset her so much." They both stared at Derek now awaiting his answer.

"And I was about to tell Nick that it was none of his concern. It's between Alex and me." Derek said closing his eyes as he swayed to the music.

"So she confronted you about the kiss you two shared the night of the explosion?" Rachel asked him.

"They kissed?" Nick asked surprised.

"Yes." Derek answered now looking at them. "And, Rachel it doesn't concern you either."

"Alex is my friend, Derek, and I could see that she was in a lot of pain. I was the one who told her to confront you thinking you two could work it out. Now, I see I was wrong." She said as she folded her arms across her chest.

"Yes, you were, especially if you gave Alex false hopes that she and I could ever be more than friends. We kissed, and now it's time to put it behind us…get back to the business at hand." Derek said standing to leave the room. He didn't like having to explain himself to Nick and Rachel.

Rachel glared at him for a moment. "You know, Derek, sometimes you can be a heartless bastard." She said leaving the room to go comfort Alex. Nick and Derek stood alone.

"Just tell me one thing, you didn't explain things to Alex the same way you just explained it to us, did you?" Nick asked the precept. Derek arched his brow.

"Yes why?"

"Man, you've got a lot to learn about women." Nick said shaking his head as he left the room.

**Berkeley University**

Eighteen year old, Melissa Wright was in the dorm the night of the ritual. Her room was next to Kelly's. The noises and the events, which happened next, frightened her. She wrote a note and left it under the Resident Advisor's door. Jessica Miller when she read what had gone on the night before…chanting, glass shattering had decided to get in touch with the Dean of Students. Dean Wilson called up Derek Rayne, an old acquaintance of hers, who she knew was familiar with the occult through his job, and may know what it all meant.

**Angel Island, Derek's Office**

Derek was sitting at his desk looking over the insurance papers. He had planned on asking Alex or Rachel to go over them, but there was no chance of that happening after the way he treated Alex. Maybe Nick and Rachel are right he thought to himself. The fact was that he wasn't ready to be in a relationship now…not after what happened to Megan. The phone on his desk rang snapping him out of his reverie.

"Derek Rayne." He said into the receiver.

"Hello, Derek, this is Victoria Wilson. There's been an incident at the college, and I was hoping that the Luna Foundation would look into it." She said to him.

"It's been a long time since I've heard from you." He took out a piece of paper out of the drawer to jot down the info. "What kind of incident occurred at the college?" He asked his old friend. She filled him in. "Victoria, I'll be right over with one of my colleagues." Derek told her and then hung up the phone. He then went to find Nick.

Rachel knocked on Alex's door. "Go away." Alex said.

Rachel knocked on the door again and said, "Alex, it's me, Rachel. I just want to make sure you're alright, sweetie."

"Come in, Rachel." She said. Rachel entered the room where she found her friend lying on the bed hugging her pillow. She sat down on the edge of the bed and stroked Alex's black curly hair. "I'm so sorry, Alex, that I told you to speak to Derek. I thought it best for you two to clear the air." Rachel said.

Alex turned her face to look at Rachel and said, "It's not your fault Rachel, that Derek's an asshole. I can't believe I've wasted all this time pining away for him." She sat up and started to cry again. Rachel held Alex as she cried. "I feel like a jerk wasting my time on a man who I don't think is capable of loving anyone." Alex said between sobs.

"No, you aren't a jerk for having feelings for Derek." She said as she released her friend. "You're young and beautiful. Alex, you are a kind, loving and giving person who deserves to be with someone that is capable of loving another person." Rachel stated. "And Derek Rayne is a damn fool if he doesn't know this."

"Thanks, Rachel." Alex said to the blond as she wiped away her tears. "I must look awful. I don't feel very beautiful right now." She said to her friend.

Rachel looked into her friend's blood shot and swollen eyes and said, "I'm going to fix you a cup of chamomile tea and some toast. Why don't you take a hot bath, honey?" She got off of Alex's bed and left the room, went down the stairs and headed for the kitchen. After Rachel left the room, Alex went into the bathroom and put on the water. She then took down the bottle of lavender bubble bath from the white shelf and put a capful into the bath. Alex took off her clothes and got into the hot water. The heat and the smell of lavender relaxed her.

**0000**

The drive up to Berkeley was for the most part a quiet one. Normally Derek and Nick would speak to one another about various topics. It was usually about Nick's love life or lack there of. The silence was getting to Nick so he said, "Derek, why are we going to Berkeley exactly?"

"Victoria Wilson, an old friend of mine, called me up and said that an occurrence happened at the school last night. I told her that we'd look into it." The precept replied to the young man.

Nick hated it when Derek was vague. "What kind of occurrence, Derek?" He asked his boss.

Derek replied, "Something to do with a ritual and chanting involving a group of students. Victoria didn't go into detail."

Nick wanted to know how well he knew this Victoria person…if he ever dated her, but after the incident with Alex in the study earlier that day, Nick thought it was best to keep his comments job related. "What's with today's youth? So many are involved with the occult. I just don't get it." He stated shaking his head.

"I Know what you mean, Nick. Parents send their kids off to college to get a good education so they can be productive citizens so they can get a decent job, and so many of these kids get into gangs or cults. Must be the music they listen to." Derek said to Nick.

With a grin on his face, Nick said to the older man, "I listened to metal, punk rock, and hard rock. I turned out okay." He was quiet for a while then added, "Hey, Derek, wasn't it your generation which was into flower power, love, sex, and rock and roll. How `bout all those  
drugs your generation did."

For the first time that day, Derek actually smiled. "You're right, Nick, my generation was into all kinds of things. We were into peace and love not violence." The smile soon turned into a frown. "These days you can't turn on the news or read a paper without hearing about gun violence or a school shooting."

**Berkeley University**

Finally the two of them arrived at the campus. They got out of their black Range Rover and headed for Dean Wilson's office, which was near the stadium. It was a long trek sun was breaking through the gray clouds, and Derek took out his handkerchief from his pant's pocket to wipe the sweat from his brow. When Derek and Nick reached the building where the dean's office was located they climbed up three flights of stairs before they reached the office. Once they arrived at her office, Derek knocked on the door. "Come in." A woman's voice called from behind the door. Derek was the first to enter. "Derek!" She said beginning to stand up from her leather chair.

"Vicky." Derek said smiling. He took note of how good the strawberry blond looked. It was as if she hadn't aged any in the years he had last seen her. "You look wonderful." He moved closer to her as she moved around from the desk and they embraced.

"I was thinking the same thing about you…still the same handsome devil." She said looking him up and down. "It's been too long, Derek."

"Yes, it has." Derek agreed.

"I'm sorry our reunion is due to these strange circumstances." Victoria said taking her seat again. She motioned for them to take a seat, which they did.

"I have to ask, how did you know to contact me?" Derek asked

"Well, a few months back I came across an article about a group of people who investigated a strange occurrence in the caves in the outskirts of town. Your name was mentioned, and upon further digging, your name came up quite a bit in these stories about paranormal happenings. I took a chance that it was more than a coincidence." Derek smiled at her, remembering that she had always been a bit of a snoop. He always thought she would be a reporter or a P.I.

"So what took place that you needed the help of the Luna Foundation?" He asked her, the smile not leaving his face.

She ran her manicured fingers through her hair and said, "The Resident Advisor from one of the dorms received a note which stated that chanting went on the night before…sounded like something was howling and glass shattering." Dean Wilson paused for a second and then continued, "Last night it rained here and we had an earthquake, but it appears that there was damage to only one room in the, Lewis Hall building and it was the room of the student who we've had prior reports about holding rituals on campus."

"Vicky, can my colleague, Nick Boyle, and I take a look at the room? Can we talk to the Resident Advisor and the student who wrote the note?" Derek asked his old friend.

"Yes, you two can go into the room since the young woman who occupied it is staying in another dorm. The room number is 228. Melissa Wright's room is next door to the room where the incident occurred, and Jessica Miller's room is located on the first floor…room 101." She said as  
she got up from the brown chair and walked to the door and opened it. "I have work to do but Derek, we should get together for drinks sometime." Victoria said as he left her office.

Nick had a smirk on his face after he left the office. "Boy you are quite the ladies man." He said then laughed.

"Victoria is married, Nick." Derek said in an irritated tone. He picked up his pace once they were outside the building.

"Man, you are clueless when it comes to women, Derek. Victoria was looking you up and down…she's interested in you." Nick said when he caught up to his boss. "You said yourself it's been a long time since you last saw her, she may be divorced."

"Victoria and I are very good friends besides I don't want to end up possibly having a fruitless affair." Derek replied to the young man.

"Then why don't you give Alex a chance? Ask her out on a date, Derek." Nick advised his boss. He was sorry that he had said that after he saw the look on the older man's face. "I'm sorry, Derek, for bringing up Alex like that. It's really none of my business."

"No need to apologize, Nick." Derek said as they were approached Lewis Hall. "I'm not interested in asking Alex out."

With a confused look on his face, Nick said to the Dutchman, "Don't you find her attractive? I know I do."

"Yes, I find Alex attractive, but I'm not interested in dating her. I like her as a friend…only as a friend. We work together, Nick, and I don't want to date a coworker. Why don't you ask her out, since you seem to be so interested in her dating?" Derek said to him as they entered the building.

"I think I might ask Alex out on a date, I think it might cheer her up." He replied and Derek nodded his head even as a voice inside yelled out at him to stop being a fool, that he knew he had feeling for Alex, but he simply ignored that voice.

"You talk to Jessica Miller, Nick. I'll take a look at the room to see if pick up any vibes. Then, I'll speak to Melissa Wright." The precept said to the ex Navy SEAL. He then climbed up the stairs to the second floor and walked down the long corridor to room 228. Derek walked into the room and saw the damage. Candle wax on the floor, no windowpanes, glass on the floor a shattered mirror and water damage from the sprinkler system going off. Also books and other objects  
were thrown all over the place. He walked around the room to see if his psychic power would pick something up. Derek noticed a book lying on the water damaged Oriental rug, and he walked over to the rug, bent down to pick it up. The title of the book was "How to Conjure Up  
The Chinese Gods". Holding the book in his hand, he had a flash of a vision of four dark shadows with blood red eyes.

**0000**

Nick knocked on Jessica's door and a tall, slender redhead opened the door. "Yes, can I help you with anything?" She asked the stranger at her door.

"Hi, I'm Nick Boyle, I'm with the Luna Foundation." He said to the young woman and then handed her a card. She read it. "I'd like to ask you a few questions, if you don't mind." Nick said to her.

"Come in, Nick. Oh by the way my name is Jessica." She said to the cute young man. Nick walked into the room. Jessica sat down on a yellow beanbag and motioned for Nick to sit down on the blue one. "What is it you'd like to know, Nick?" She asked him.

"I'd like to know about the letter which you received from one of the freshman." He said to the pretty young woman, as he spared her a quick look up and down.

"The letter stated that about ten students were chanting. The girl also wrote that she heard a howling noise, and that she heard glass breaking." Jessica replied.

"Can I ask you the name of the student who held the chanting session?" Nick said to her. He noticed a look of fear on her face.

Jessica Miller took a deep breath before she said, "It was Kelly Mitchell who was holding a ritual. I've heard stories about her…that she's involved in séances and other occult type activities. By looking at her, one couldn't tell…dresses very nice does wear all black or anything else like that. Kelly comes from a prominent family." She looked at her watch and noticed that it was getting late and said, "Is that all. I have some studying to do at the library."

Nick got up from the beanbag and said, "That's all. Thank you for your time, Jessica." He then left the room and headed up the stairs to find Kelly Mitchell's room and Derek. He found the room easily but Derek was no longer there `This place is a mess.' He thought to himself when he entered the dorm room. Nick walked over to Kelly's desk and picked up the pictures, which she had on her desk. He then went through her draws and looked her papers to see if he could find anything else out about her. Nick saw the word Zodiac on a piece of paper, and it listed the names of the members…Kelly Mitchell (leader), Stacie Rhodes (assistant leader); Remy Black, Jack Stevens; Karen Carlson, Beverly Johnson; Melanie Davidson, Jordan Snyder; Billy Rapport, and Christina Stewart. He put the piece of paper in the pocket of his blue shirt.

**San Francisco**

Alex was in her room listening to R and B music to help soothe her when she heard a knock on her door. "Go away. I want to be left alone." She shouted through the closed door.

Nick knocked on her door again and said, "I come baring comfort food your favorite, Alex." She was hungry since it was hours since she had eaten something, so she opened the door. Nick had a carton of ice cream and two spoons in his hand. They sat down on Alex's bed and dug into the ice cream.

"How did you know that this was what I needed Nick?" Alex asked her friend after she took a big spoonful of the cookie dough ice cream.

"When Julia was upset over something, she liked to eat ice cream…figured it was a ladies thing to eat ice cream when upset." He said to her. He was silent for a moment, thinking about whether or not he should ask her how she was feeling. "Alex, are you feeling any better?"

Alex played with one of her long black curls as she replied to him, "I'm fine, Nick, thanks for asking." She gave him a big smile. "So where did you disappear to?" She asked.

Nick hesitated for a minute then said, "I went to Berkeley with Derek…a case involving college students performing a ritual. It seems that they were trying to conjure up the Chinese Gods…from the look of the dorm room where it took place, looked like they succeeded."

Alex swallowed her ice cream and asked, "How do you know they were trying to conjure up the Chinese Gods?" Nick took out the piece of paper from his shirt pocket and gave it to her. "Zodiac Club…mission of this club is to try and conjure up the Chinese Gods to gain power." She read out loud. "Anyone get hurt?"

"No one we could find, but the room was pretty trashed." He then handed her the book, which Derek had given him before he ordered Nick to head back to Angel Island.

"So what's the next move?" Alex asked, eager to help, hoping it would distract her mind from her troubles.

"I don't know. Derek is still at Berkeley. The dean is an old girlfriend of his, and they seemed interested in catching up on old times." Nick said. He was sorry that he had said that when he saw the sad expression on Alex's face as she was staring down at the bed. "I'm sorry, Alex." Nick said in a kind tone. Alex shook her head.

Alex looked at her friend's face and said, "It's okay, Nick I can't believe I ever had feelings for him in graduate school…he seemed so sophisticated and suave. In one crazy moment, I tell him my true feelings, expecting him to scoop me in his arms, and tell me he felt the same. Well needless to say, it didn't exactly happen that way." Alex smiled. Nick smiled back at her. He reached out and gently stroked her hair.

"You know what you need?" Nick asked, jumping off the bed.

"Yeah, but I don't think I'm going to get it from Derek." Alex grinned slyly and Nick smirked at her.

"Besides that, in fact better than that." Nick said grabbing her by the arms pulling her to her feet.

"Better?" Alex looked at her friend suspiciously. "What could possibly be better than making love by the fireplace or out in the rain?"

"Going out to get a couple of nasty looking chili dogs, and catching the evening horror flick with me." Nick said leading her by the hand to the door.

**Berkeley University**

Kelly and the other members of Zodiac were in Lucinda Montgomery's office after class was over. Lucinda said to her students, "Here are necklaces with the symbol Ying-Yang on it. This and the crystal necklace will make you even more powerful." She handed the eleven college students the Ying-Yang necklace. "Tonight after midnight come to the cabin in the woods and bring with you the animal which coincides with the year of your birth."

Christina Stewart looked at her professor for a second before she said, "The animal which rules my birth year is a monkey. How am I supposed to get one of those?"

Pushing back a stray reddish brown lock from her forehead, Professor Montgomery said, "Steal one, my dear from the zoo." She handed the petite dark haired girl a tranquilizer gun. "Here, this will put the monkey to sleep. The boys will help you steal it and take it to my cabin in the woods, right boys?" The three young men nodded their heads. "Good then it's settled. See you in the woods at midnight. I have a lot of stuff to do to get ready for the ritual." She said as she opened her door.

Boy is she one strange lady! Are you sure you want to go ahead with this, Kelly?"Jack Stevens asked as they were leaving the building heading towards the cafeteria."

"Yes, she's strange, but she knows what she's talking about." Kelly replied as she buttoned her brown velvet coat. "Besides, I want to be powerful…very more powerful than my family."

"I wonder what we're going to do with the animals that coincide with the year of our birth." Jordan Snyder stated to his friends.

Karen shrugged her shoulders as she said, "Beats me guys. I wish we didn't have to do it so late at night its cold at that time of night." She and her friends found a table and put their jackets on the chairs. They then went in line to get their lunch.

Remy said as she picked up a brown tray, "Will you guys stop complaining. Wear a warm enough jacket, Karen. I have a feeling that whatever we're going to be doing with the animals, it's gonna be cool."

**San Francisco**

Nick and Alex were in the kitchen eating a late breakfast when Nick's cell phone rang. "Yeah,"

"Nick, its Derek. I'm going to be at the university a little longer…I have a feeling that something is going to happen tonight. I want you and Alex to look over the book on How to conjure up the Chinese Gods."

"Will do, Derek." Nick said and then flipped the phone shut. He then said to Alex, "The chief wants us to look over the book."

"I already did that." She took a sip of orange juice.

"When did you do it?"

"After we came home from the movies, I couldn't sleep so I came down to the control room to translate the book." Alex replied to him.

Nick took a bite of his bagel before he asked, "So, what did it say?"

"Well, if my translation is correct, it said something about sacrificing animals and humans in order to reach the highest level of power." Alex said as she was getting up from the table as they headed to the control room.

"Animal and human sacrifices why would anyone want to do that? How's that going to make them powerful?"

Alex sat down in the chair at the computer terminal. Sacrificing animals and people is an offering to the Chinese Gods. The Gods in return will give those who offered them something, power."

"How many Chinese Gods are there?" Nick asked her as he sat down next to her.

Alex looked up Chinese Gods in the Legacy Database. "There are 125 of them. Each God is responsible for different kinds of power…good power and evil power." She said as she turned and looked into Nick's hazel eyes.

Nick gazed back and said, "Well, from the way Kelly's dorm room looked, I'd say they're trying to conjure up the evil Gods." He dialed Derek's cell phone number and spoke into the speakerphone, "Derek, Alex and I found out some interesting info out. In order to gain power from the Chinese Gods, one has to sacrifice an animal and a person."

"There's supposed to be a full moon tonight…perfect night for a sacrificing ritual. Nick, do you have the names of the students who are involved?"

"Yeah, their names are Kelly Mitchell, Stacie Rhodes, Beverly Johnson, Jordan Snyder, Billy Rapport, Remy Black, Karen Carlson, Jack Stevens, Christina Stewart, and Melanie Davidson." Nick said into the speakerphone.

"I'll see if Victoria will allow me to take a look at the student's files to see if there were any other incidents involving these students. I've been told that Melissa Wright is scared of Kelly. I'll fax over any information I get on these students." Derek said to Nick and Alex. He then hung up the phone.

"Is Victoria Derek's old girlfriend?" Alex asked in a soft voice.

"Yes, Are you sure your okay with everything?"

She patted Nick on the arm and said, "I'm fine with everything. I enjoyed going to the movies with you, Nick. It got my mind off of Derek for awhile." Alex then gave Nick a huge smile, and he returned it. Nick got up from the chair and went over to the table and picked up the book. He started thumbing through it and found a piece of paper. "Hey, Al, check this out!"

She got up and walked over to where he was standing and asked, "What do you have there?"

"It looks like a list of people for the human sacrifice ritual…sorority sisters are listed on it." He replied as he handed her the paper. She read it and said, "You're right guess we better call Derek back."

She walked over to the speakerphone and dialed Derek's number and wait for him to pick up. "Derek, Nick found a piece of paper in the book. It's a list of people for the human sacrifice. The list lists all of the Phi-Beta sorority sisters on it, all of which were the ones who participated in the ritual."

"I'll talk to the Phi-Beta sisters. Alex, call Rachel for a psychological profile of Kelly and the others." Derek said to her and then hung up the phone.

She dialed Rachel's number. "Dr. Corrigan." Rachel answered.

"Hi, Rachel do you think you could come to the Island? An interesting case has come up, and Nick and I need your psychological expertise." Alex stated.

"I can stop by after my last appointment, which is 2:30. Kat is sleeping over her friend, Alyssa's house…have a science project to work on together. See you at 4:00." She said and then hung up the phone.

Nick walked over to where Alex was and put his arm around her shoulder and said, "Its 12:30, and Derek hasn't faxed us the info yet; so why don't we go grab something to eat from the kitchen."

"Good I deal I'm starved, so are you cooking or am I?"

"Well having experienced 'your' cooking, I have to volunteer myself."

"Hey I can cook," Alex defended her cooking abilities and then added, "A peanut butter and jelly sandwich."

"That doesn't actually require any cooking, Al." Nick stated as they headed out of the control room.

**Berkeley University**

Derek was in Victoria's office looking over the files of the eleven students involved in the ritual. Dean Wilson walked in her office and asked, "Were you able to find what you were looking for, Derek?" He nodded. "Good. I don't want another incident to occur I don't want this university to get a bad name."

He gazed into Victoria's hazel eyes as he asked, "Why didn't you expel these students, Vicky? They clearly disobeyed the rules."

"Derek, Kelly Mitchell comes from a prominent family her father is a senator. The others come from wealthy families who give money to this university; so I couldn't expel them without having a good enough reason."

"Senator Richard Mitchell is her father? He's against violence and cults." He stated to his friend. "Would it be alright if I made copy of these files and faxed them to my colleagues?" Victoria nodded her head. Derek then copied and faxed them over to the Legacy House.

**San Francisco 3:45**

Nick and Alex were in the control room looking over the files that Derek had faxed over. "I wonder why these students weren't expelled or any disciplinary actions taken they clearly aren't model students." Alex said, shaking her head.

"Maybe the dean and others are scared of these students. When I asked Jessica Miller who was holding the ritual, she was scared." Nick replied as he got up to stretch. "Oh, Jessica also mentioned that she heard rumors that Kelly was into contacting the dead."

"She's really into this big time." Alex said as she typed Kelly Mitchell's name into the computer. "Nick, her father is Senator Richard Mitchell."

"You gotta be joking. Isn't he the one who wanted tougher laws against cult and gang related violence?"

"He's the one." She said looking at Nick. "I wonder if he knows what his daughter is up to." Rachel entered the room.

"Hey guys. What's up?"

"Hey, Rachel we need a psychological profile on a group of college students." Alex said, turning around to face her friend.

"So what are they into that you need a psyche profile on them?" Rachel asked curiously.

"Apparently they're trying to gain power from the Chinese Gods. In order to do, that one needs to sacrifice an animal and a human." Nick replied with a disgusted look on his face.

"Only one of the girls will get the power and the others will be killed." Alex clarified and Nick nodded.

"So you need me to try and determine which one of them is the one intending to receive the power."

"Yeah, as far as we know, right now, it can be anyone of them." Alex said, still sitting at the terminal. "And we have to know fast because tonight when the moon is high, they'll perform the ceremony. Unless we find the one behind this and stop her, a lot of young women will die tonight."

"Ok, are these the files?" Rachel asked, picking up a pile of paper.

"Yeah, Derek faxed them over from the university." Nick replied.

"Ok, I'll go in Derek's office and read over them, then let you know what I find." Rachel said, carrying the papers towards the door besides the terminal.

"So what do you say Al, while Rachel is looking over the files, what say you and I raid the fridge." Nick said patting his stomach. Alex had gotten up from where she was sitting and was now standing in front of him.

"Again, my God Nick you are insatiable."

"You have no idea," He replied as he threw her wink. "Besides it's been hours since we had lunch. So what do ya say?"

"I say the last one there has to fix the other whatever they want." Alex said, before bolting out of the room.

"Hey you cheat!" Nick yelled after Alex, as he followed her out of the room.

**Berkeley University**

Victoria Wilson was at her home on the campus. She was in her den and picked up the phone and dialed Lucinda Montgomery's number. "Lu, are we still on for tonight? Do you have everything that we'll need?" She asked her friend.

"Oh, yes, Vic. We're still on for tonight…no intention of backing out of this. Everything is in place…those girls won't know what hit them." Lucinda replied then gave an evil laugh. "The one who's going to be the most surprised is Kelly Mitchell."

Victoria ran her manicured fingers through her short strawberry blond hair and said, "I don't like that girl or her father. Richard cheated my family out of everything and now it's time for him to pay for what he has done."

"What about Derek Rayne?" Her friend asked her.

"I'll take care of him. I'll put the herbs that you gave me into his drink…that'll knock him out for a couple of hours." Victoria replied, laughing mischievously. She then hung up the phone and went to the parlor where Derek was waiting for her.

She went over to the table where the liquor was and asked, "Derek, would you like a drink?" He nodded as he looked at Victoria's paintings. She took out the vial of herbs from her black blazer  
pocket and put a few drops of it in the wine and shook the glass. Victoria then walked over to where he was standing and handed him his drink.

"Thank you, Vicky. Aren't you going to have one?" Derek asked his old friend. He took a sip. "This is delicious. What year is it?"

"1884," She watched in delight as he finished the wine in his glass. "And no I don't drink myself but you enjoy it."

"I think I need to sit down." He said as he walked over to the red velvet couch. Derek passed out as soon as he sat down. Victoria left the room and headed up to her room to get ready for the ritual.

**San Francisco,** **The kitchen**

Alex was at the sink washing the glasses when she had a vision of four dark shadows with glaring, glowing beet red eyes dancing around a fire in the woods. The vision was so intense that Alex dropped the glasses into the sink. Nick was sitting at the table reading the sports section. He looked up when he heard the sound of the breaking glass. "Good one, Al. Two less glasses to wash…hope Derek doesn't blame it on me." Nick said with a huge grin. Alex turned around and  
there was a strange look on her face. "What's wrong, Alex?" He asked as he jumped from the table and headed to the sink. Nick put his hands on her shoulders.

"I saw four dark shadows with glowing red eyes dancing in the woods." She said, squinting her eyes as she tried to remember more of her vision. "They were dancing around a fire. Something awful is going to happen tonight, something more than what we think. Some great evil is going to be unleashed." She said in a shaky voice. She then saw the amber flames dancing in front of her again. "I see the flames again. They're bigger than two nights ago." Alex stated.

"Maybe fire has something to do with the ritual…could be why you're seeing flames."

"Yeah, maybe," Alex agreed.

"Here sit down for a second, and I'll call Derek." Nick said as he led her by the arm, to a nearby chair. "Maybe he can make some more sense of your vision."

"No." Alex said shaking her head. "We have to get to him. He's in trouble, I can feel it, Nick."

"OK let's go." Nick said, grabbing their coats on the way out.

**7:45pm, Berkeley campus:**

Nick pulled his Mustang up in front of Victoria Wilson's house. "Whew, you sure this is the right place?" Nick asked, staring up at the two story Victorian house.

"That's what the guard at the security station said." Alex replied.

"Man this is some set up." Nick said as he stepped out of the car. He and Alex made their way up the walkway, to the door. Alex knocked at the door, but there was no answer. Nick had walked to the side of the house, to look in the window. He instantly spotted Derek, slouched over in a chair. The uncomfortable manner, in which Derek's body lay, quickly put Nick on his guard. Alex was still knocking at the door, and receiving no response. Nick rushed back around to her. "Well  
Nick I don't think anyone's home." Alex said, walking to the step just as Nick bolted up them.

"Derek's in there and he's unconscious." Nick said, turning the doorknob.

"What?" Alex moved beside him, and started pounded the door. "Derek!" She yelled. "Derek it's Nick and Alex, open the door." Derek didn't answer. With patience never being his strong suit, Nick began ramming his shoulder against the door. After a couple of shoves the door gave  
way. They hurried inside to where Derek sat. Nick tried to rouse Derek, by shaking his shoulders.

"Derek. Hey Derek," Nick said to his unresponsive precept, and then he placed his fingers on his neck, feeling for a pulse. It was there and quite strong. Suddenly Derek began to come around. He slowly opened his eyes, and stared up at Nick then Alex.

"What's going on?" Derek asked, looking around the room.

"You tell us." Nick said as he helped Derek to his feet. Derek thought for a moment, and then he remembered.

"Victoria, I think she drugged me." Derek said picking up the goblet he drank from. He put it to his nose.

"Drugged you?" Alex looked confused. "But why?"

"I'm beginning to think that Victoria knows more than she let on."

"You think she's involved somehow?" Nick asked.

"Oh, I'm now sure of it." Derek said as he picked up a copy of the book on the Chinese Gods, from the table. "How did you two know where to find me?"

"Well, we knew you were with Victoria, so we checked her office. The janitor said she had already left for the evening. So, we took a chance that you had come here." Nick explained.

"We came because I had a vision of dark forms, with red eyes, and they were dancing around a fire." Alex said. Derek quickly looked at his watch.

"It's going to be night soon, and tonight is a full moon." Derek said, heading to the door. "You can fill me in on what you found in the car. We have to find Victoria, and whoever else is helping her."

"And where do you propose we start?" Alex asked as she and Nick, followed Derek out.

"In the nearby woods." Derek answered.

"How did I know he was going to say that?" Nick mumbled as they all headed out.

"So an animal and a human needs to be sacrificed in order to achieve power." Derek said after Nick and Alex told him what they learned. Derek had a vision of Victoria sacrificing Kelly and the others. "I think it is Victoria who wants the power of the Chinese Gods."

They arrived at the woods, and when they got there, they saw that Victoria, Lucinda, Kelly and her friends were in a circle around the fire. All of them brought the animals, which coincided with the year of their birth. Victoria was the only one standing, chanting words in Chinese as the others sat around the fire listening, seeming hypnotized and in a trance.

"Victoria!" Derek called out to her as he approached the fire site. Nick followed, aiming his gun, with Alex close behind him. "Don't do this."

"Don't do what Derek?" Victoria asked, pulling a dagger from her cloak. "Gain unbelievable powers. Becoming a God?"

"You would shed innocent blood to attain power?" Derek asked still hoping his friend had some humanity left in her.

"Yes." She hissed, raising the dagger. Derek then pulled his gun out, and aimed at Victoria.

"I can't let you kill these girls. Vicky please, it's not too late." Derek pleaded. Suddenly thick black smoke rose from the fire, and took the form of a skeleton.

"Oh but it is too late Derek, for you." Victoria said a command in Chinese and the Skeleton flew at Derek. He ducked in time, and it flew over him. The skeleton threw itself on the person closest to it, which was Alex. She fell to the ground with the skeleton on top of her. Nick instantly came to her aid, but the skeleton smacked him away. Nick aimed his gun, making sure he would not hit Alex. He fired at the skeleton. The bullets went through it.

"Victoria stop this, please!" Derek said. Victoria just chanted loud, commanding the Skeleton to squeeze the life out of Alex. Derek and Nick both watched in horror as Alex began gagging, and struggling for air. Derek then turned back to Victoria, aimed and shot his gun. Victoria fell to the ground dead. With no master to command it, the skeleton lifted off of Alex, and flew back into the fire. Nick rushed to Alex, helping her to her feet. Derek went to Victoria's lifeless body. He took her hand, lifted it to his lips. Kissing her hand he said his farewells.

Later, after making sure all the girls had returned safely to their room, and Lucinda Montgomery was turned over to the proper authorities, Derek, Nick, and Alex, headed back to the Island. Rachel met them in the parlor.

"Hey where did you two go? I finished the profile, but I went looking for you guys, you were no where to be found?" She asked. Derek walked past her without saying a word, and headed up the stairs. Rachel stared after him, then turned back to Nick and Alex. "What the hell happened?"

"Well, we figured out that Victoria was the person behind everything, and Alex had a vision that Derek was in trouble." Nick started.

"Which he was." Alex said, cutting in. "But fortunately we got to him in time, but in the end he had to kill Victoria. He saved the girls and me."

"But he killed an old friend." Nick said, staring up the stairway in the direction Derek had took. "To save a friend." Nick rubbed Alex's back.

"Maybe I should go talk to him." Rachel offered.

"No, for the past several months, Derek's had every action and decision that he's made, questioned and over analyzed. Lets just let him deal with this one on his own." Nick said, as Rachel nodded her head in agreement.

The Journal of Derek Rayne:

This week I hurt a friend, whom I cherish, and depend on. I rediscovered an old friend and long lost love. And today I had to sacrifice one to save the other. I had a victory and a loss. It just  
affirms my fears that evil has a plan in the works for me, that I am destined to destroy evil, or be consumed by it. I only hope that when the time comes I will be more prepared and stronger than the ones who came before me.

**Fin**


	4. Episode 4: Lost Souls

**Lost Souls: Episode 4 by ThePTLLovers**

Downtown, San Francisco, 12 p.m.

"Alex. I have to get to Alex, before it's too late." The man thought as he ran through the alleyway. He thought he could hear footsteps running behind him. He just looked straight ahead, too afraid to see who or what was after him. He was in search of someplace public. He figured it wouldn't follow him into crowded places, but waited until he was alone. He had to get to a phone. As he cleared the alley, back onto the brightly lit streets, he spotted an all night diner. "Perfect." He thought, hoping they had a phone so he could get help.

Angel Island, 12:15 p.m.

Alex had been in the control room, going over her records on the tomb of King Tut. She wanted to make sure everything was in order before she left for Egypt the next morning. She was excited about being asked to help explore a secret tomb found under the original one. She knew she would be among the first to see its contents, since it was first sealed. She was even more excited, that with the new microscopic cameras and mics, furnished by the Legacy, everyone in the Cairo house would be able to see everything as it happened. Alex was just about finished, and was ready to head up to bed when she heard Dominick voice on the speaker phone.

"Miss. Alex, are you still in there." Dominick had brought Alex a sandwich earlier, and she had told him she would probably be there for awhile.

"Yes Dom, I'm here. What's up?" Alex said, standing at the light switch.

"You have a call on line one. A Mr. Jeffery Star,"

"Jeffery," She repeated wondering why Jeffery Starr would be calling her at such an hour. "I'll take it, thank you Dominick." Alex said, walking to the phone.

"You're welcome and goodnight, Miss. Alex." Dominick said before clicking off. Alex picked up the phone and opened line one.

"Hello Jeffery, are you there?" Alex said, sitting back down.

"Yes Alex I'm here." Jeffery said in a shaky voice. "Alex I know I promised I wouldn't bother you again, but I need your help. Something's after me."

"What's after you Jeffery, where are you?"

"Ah, I'm at Neil's all night diner, down town. I don't know what this thing is, but it's been following me for days now." Jeffery said, looking around paranoid.

"I know the place. OK you stay there and I'm going to come get you."

"No! It might hurt you, send Nick." Jeffery said. Alex smiled, remembering that Nick and Jeffery never did get along.

"I'll bring Nick with me. We'll be there within the hour. You stay put Jeffery, you understand?" Alex commanded.

"Don't worry as long as that thing's out there, I'm staying in here. But please hurry." With that he hung up. Alex headed upstairs to Nick's room. She gently knocked at his door.

"It's open." Nick yelled. He had been unable to sleep, so he had decided to lift weights. Alex just stuck her head inside the door.

"Hey, I'm glad you're still up." Alex said as she walked fully into the room, closing the door behind her.

"What's up?" Nick said, sitting up from the weight bench, and looking at Alex with concern.

"I just got a call from a friend who needs help. He's absolutely terrified. I told him that I'd come pick him up, but I don't want to go alone. I was hoping you'd come with me.

"Sure, just let me get dressed." Nick got up and walked to his bureau. He got out some sweats, which he started to put on. He totally forgot that Alex was there, or was so comfortable with her, that he wasn't embarrassed stripping down to his boxer's. However, Alex stood there waiting and blushing. Nick noticed her discomfort, and suddenly realized why. He was half naked. He hastened in his task to put on his clothes.

"So, does your friend have a name? Is it anyone I know?" Nick asked as he sat to put on his shoes. Alex hesitated about telling Nick who it because she feared he wouldn't help her, but she had never lied to Nick. She knew this was why they were so close, and she didn't want to lose his trust in her.

"Ah, yeah. It's Jeffery." Alex said, nearly mumbling.

"Jeffery Star," Nick repeated. "What's he gotten himself into this time? I can't believe you're even considering helping that guy again."

"Look Nick I know you don't like him, but he is my friend and he was scared. If you don't want to go I understand..."

"You don't think I'm going to let you go out there and get dragged into whatever new scam he's working on, do you? No I'm going, but only because I know that you're going to go no matter what I say." Nick said, grabbing his gun from the nightstand.

"You really think we're going to need that." Alex asked, watching Nick tuck the gun in the back of his pants.

"Well let's look at the track record we've had with Jeffery so far." Nick said, causing Alex to laugh.

"You right, I'd better take one too." Alex said jokingly, but Nick grabbed another gun from the stand. He handed to Alex, who didn't readily take it.

"I think you should always keep one handy, and tomorrow I'll show you the basics of handling and firing a gun." Alex looked at her friend, then at the gun in her hand.

"So I just stick it in the back like so." Alex asked, mimicking Nick moves with his gun.

"Yeah, here turn around." Nick twirled Alex and put the gun in the appropriate spot. "Now you just need to wear a coat or jacket, to conceal it." Alex smiled, still feeling a little uncomfortable with the gun, especially when it was down her pants. "OK let's go." Nick said leading the way out of the room.

"Hey this thing isn't going to go off or anything." Alex said, following behind him. "I don't have much of an ass to start with, and I'd like to keep what I do have." Nick just laughed.

"You're fine the safety's on." They headed down the stairs and to the main door. Alex went out first. "Actually I've always thought you have a lovely ass, Alex." Nick remarked, smiling as he closed the door behind them.

Later, at the diner:

Nick and Alex arrived to find Jeffery in a back booth, looking scared out of his mind. They walked over to join him.

"Jeffery," Alex spoke, causing the man to jump, nearly out of his seat. "Hey take it easy, it's just us." Alex said, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder and then taking a seat in the opposite side of the booth.

"Oh Alex," Jeffery said, putting his hand to his chest. "Thank you guys for coming." He looked past Alex and Nick, towards the door. "Where's the brooding fellow, you know the one with the accent? I thought he'd come with you."

"Derek is at home in the bed, sound asleep, which is where we should be." Nick finally spoke as he took a seat beside Alex.

"It's nice to see you too, Nick." Jeffery smirked at Nick, as Nick return the favor. "I told Alex not to invite you." Jeffery lied.

"Well, I've always been a party crasher." Nick said, smiling.

"Will you two behave? We're all here, so let's try to figure out what's going on, OK." Alex said, looking at both of her friends. They both nodded their heads. "Now Jeffery, tell us what's happening."

"Well, at first I thought I had imagined it all, but then she spoke to me." Jeffery said, gulping the coffee he had ordered an hour ago.

"Wait, on the phone you said you didn't know what it was." Alex interrupted.

"I thought you might not want to help me if I told you a ghost was after me, again."

"You thought right." Nick interjected. Alex gently placed her hand on his, her way of telling him to shut up.

"Go on Jeffery, Tell us what she said." Alex said.

"I see this girl, but she doesn't speak, at least her mouth doesn't move." Nick looked at him skeptically. "I know how it sounds, but there's a voice. It's deep and kind of scratchy."

"And whenever you see this girl, you hear the voice?" Alex asked. Jeffery nodded."Well, what does the voice say to you?" Nick shifted in his seat, and folded his arms, as if preparing himself for a long untrue story, that he already knew the answer to. Alex glared at him in a scolding manner.

"Hey I didn't say a word. I'm listening, no matter how far-fetched it sounds." Alex turned back to Jeffery.

"What does she say, Jeffery?"

"I'm still alive. That's all she keeps saying, over and over again. I'm still alive."

"When did you first see her? Where were you at exactly?" Alex continued questioning.

"Ah I was at home. I just inherited my dad's place, a brownstone. I hadn't been in there more than a week, before she showed up."

"She just appeared, you weren't performing another one of your "contacting the dead" sessions. Were you?" Alex asked, suspiciously.

"Or maybe fell and bumped your head." Nick added with a smirk. Alex smiled too, despite herself.

"No." Jeffery said, shooting Nick a look. "The only thing I was doing was my laundry, separating the whites from the colors, to be exact." He gulped more of the cold coffee. "Then when I turned to leave, she was there, and the voice said, I'm still alive."

"Ok I guess the only thing to do now, is to go home with you." Alex said.

"For what, hoping Casper comes out to say hello?" Nick asked, still very skeptical.

"Yeah something like that." Alex said.

"Great, I didn't want to stay in that house tonight by myself." Jeffery said, relieved.

"Whoa, we're not spending the night." Nick quickly spoke up.

"Oh Nick be a pal." Jeffery pleaded. "Don't leave me alone in that house."

"First of all, I'm not your pal, and secondly, no." Nick said then he turned to see Alex smiling at him.

"Please Nick." Alex pleaded, now rubbing his hand. Nick looked at her then rolled his eyes. He hated that he could never deny her anything.

"Well, Alex if you stay we won't need Nick. We can protect each other. You'll watch my body and I'll watch yours." Jeffery smiled at her.

"Yeah right, we'll both stay, but only for tonight." Nick stated.

"That's fine, and we'll leave first thing in the morning, I promise." Alex smiled. Nick groaned.

"OK I'm going to go call the house, and leave a message with Dom, so Derek won't wonder where we are." Nick said, rising from the table.

"Thanks Nick." Alex said, giving him her biggest smile.

"Ya know I really need to work at saying no to you." Nick said, shooting her a smile and a wink, before walking off to make the call.

"Thank you Alex." Jeffery said, clasping Alex's hands with his. "You really are a lifesaver."

Later at Jeffery's house:

Once they arrived at the house, they found it to be quite normal. After a sweep of the house turned up nothing, they decided to turn in for the night.

"Ok, this sofa turns in to a sleeper." Jeffery said, tossing some extra linen, pillows, and a blanket onto the sofa. "I'm sure you'll be comfortable Nick. Alex we'll be sleeping in there." He pointed towards his bedroom.

"Not even in your dreams Jeffery." Alex smiled at him. "Nick and I will be fine out here. You go on to bed now." With that Jeffery turned to leave.

"Well suit yourself, but if you change you mind, Alex, I'll keep the door unlocked."

"Thanks, but I won't be changing my mind. However, if you have some extra pjs I could wear, I'd appreciate it."

"Sure." Jeffery walked into his room, and then returned a few seconds later with pajamas in hand. He tossed them to her. "The bathroom's down the hall, to the right. Goodnight." Jeffery went into his bedroom, closing the door behind him.

"Would you like the bottoms?" Alex asked Nick.

"No thanks I'm not putting any of my body parts in a place where Jeffery's had his crotch." Nick said and Alex crinkled up her nose.

"Good point." She said, tossing the pajamas on a nearby chair. "I'll just sleep in my clothes." She then left to go use the bathroom. Moments later she emerged to find the light off, and Nick already in bed. She entered the bed, from the opposite side.

"You're not going to try and take advantage of me, are you?" Nick asked, smiling as he laid back with his hands behind his head.

"Shut up, Nick." Alex laughed too, as she smacked his chest. She rolled over on her side, and curled up. Nick rolled over too, throwing his arms casually across her waist. After many assignments that placed them in positions where they had to sleep in the same bed, Alex had grown used to Nick snuggling with her. She knew Nick would never overstep any boundaries. Not without her permission, and she found safety in his arms. With a sign she closed her eyes, and then she swiftly opened them again.

"Nick."

"Mm?"

"What is that, poking me in the back?" Alex asked, smiling a little.

"What this?" Smiling, he nudged the object further into her back.

"Yeah that."

"That's my gun." Nick said, lifting it from the under the covers.

"Since when do you sleep with your gun, near your crotch?"

"Hey that's my most valuable asset, and I got to protect my jewels." He laughed as did Alex. She rolled over to face him, and instantly caught sight of a young girl, standing over him. Alex froze and Nick, seeing the look on her face, went on the defensive. He lifted his gun again, but Alex put a steady hand on his.

"No. It's the girl." Alex whispered. Nick's eyes widened.

"What is she doing?" Nick whispered.

"Just watching us. She's beautiful, Nick." Alex smiled at the girl, who returned the smile. Then the girl put her hand over her chest.

"I'm still alive." She spoke, but without moving her lips. Alex began sitting up now, but motioned Nick not to move.

"Where are you? How can I find you?" Alex spoke to the girl. "Let me help you." The girl smile again.

"You will help me?"

"Yes." Alex said, slowing standing from the bed. Nick gripped her hand. "It's OK Nick. I'll help you just tell me where you are." the girl disappeared. "Damn! She's gone." Alex said standing up now.

"She's behind you." Nick whispered. Alex slowly turned and faced the girl. The girl touched Alex's chest. There was a ball of light, which burrowed into Alex, sending her flying against the far wall.

Nick quickly jumped to his feet, and Jeffery ran from the room having heard the noise. They both ran to Alex's limp body, which was leaning against the wall. He checked for a pulse.

"What the hell happened?" Jeffery asked, also kneeling beside Alex.

"We got a visit from your ghost, and she ain't too friendly." Nick found a pulse, but it was weak. "Alex? Alex come on baby talk to me." He gently stroked her hair. "We've got to get her to the hospital." Nick scooped Alex up into his arms, and stood up. Alex suddenly began to rouse. She opened her eyes and looked at Nick.

"Hello." Alex said.

"Hey darling. You gave me a scare there for a minute." Nick said, walking to the sofa, and laying her down. "Do you know what happened?"

"Yes, the pretty lady is going to help us." Alex said, smiling up at Nick in a childlike manner.

"What the hell is she talking about?" Jeffery asked.

"Who are you and what have you done with Alex?" Nick said.

"Alex. Is that the pretty lady's name?"

"Yes that's her name, now tell me where she is."

"She's here." The child placed Alex's hand over her heart. "She's going to help us."

"Us, there's more of you?" Jeffery asked, looking around paranoid.

"Oh yes, thirteen of us in all. We're trapped here, and Alex is going to help us. At first we thought you were our savior," She said looking at Jeffery. "But now we realize you were just a messenger, someone to help us find Alex, our true savior." The child smiled.

"We need to get back to the house." Nick said.

"NO! We can't leave if we leave he'll get the others. She is the only one who can protect us. When she's here he can't hurt us. She won't let him." The child said frightened, and then a calm came over her face, as if she was listening to someone or something. "Yes, I understand. I'll try." The child laid back and closed her eyes.

"What is she doing? Who was she talking to?" Jeffery asked, frightened and confused. He and Nick watched as Alex's body began to glow, and a light in the shape of a form, lifted from her body. Nick and Jeffery moved back as they watched in shock, as the form took the shape of Alex, but she was nearly transparent.

"Now you can go with Nick." Alex spoke. "I'll stay with the others." Then she turned to Nick. "Nick you have to hurry, if I stay this way for too long, I can never return to the living."

"You're dead?" Nick asked.

"Yes, well my soul has left my body, but as long as my body is a live, and I'm not out of it for too long, I can return to it. I'll explain it all later." Seeing the worry in Nick eyes, Alex smiled. "I'll be fine Nick, you just find what we need, and hurry back."

"What is that you need?"

"Justice. There are so many of them, Nick. These children are trapped here, and being tormented by him."

"By who, Alex?" Nick asked, reaching out to touch her, only to have his hand pass through her.

"His name was Spencer Cunningham. He owned this whole brownstone. Back in the 30's, he lured the children of poor immigrants here, by promising work, and then he tortured and killed them. Now their souls are locked here forever. So is his. Cunningham is still here tormenting them. They're so scared Nick, and some of them don't even realize that they're dead. You have to get a wrecking crew here, and the living relatives of the children. We have to free them, giving them justice and peace."

"You can't tear down my house. Come on I just got it."

"It's either that or you live with a house full of ghosts, who will probably be pissed at you for not helping them." Nick said. Jeffery became silent. Nick turned back to Alex. "What reason do I give to Derek and the Luna Foundation, for ordering a building to be destroyed?"

"They're still here Nick. Their bodies are buried in the basement." Alex said, and then she quickly answered the question she sensed he was going to ask. "We have to destroy the house. It's too full of evil. So long as it stands, he'll have a place to dwell, and the children's souls will remain trapped."

"I don't want to leave you here, Alex." Nick said, reaching out to touch her again.

"I'll be OK. I'm not afraid of him. I can stand up to him, for the children. Besides they want me to stay." Alex said, pointing behind Nick and Jeffery. They turned to see all the children standing there, all pleading for Alex to stay.

"Please stay with us Alex, Please." They cried.

"See Nick I have to stay, for them." Alex said.

"Oh no, he's coming." The children spoke in a panic.

"Nick you have to go now. I don't know what he'll do if he discovers Melissa isn't here. Go, take Melissa, and hurry back." Alex said, walking to the children. "I have to hide them." She then disappeared through the wall. Nick stared after her, torn between leaving, not really wanting to go without Alex.

"Come on Nick. The sooner we do all the stuff she asked, the sooner we'll get her back." Jeffery said, not too thrilled about leaving her behind either. Nick picked up Alex's body, and the girl inhabiting it, and they left, heading back to the house.

Later, back at Angel Island:

Nick had called Derek on the way home, and filled him in on what was happening. He then called Rachel and asked her to come over to monitor Alex's vitals, to make sure her body stayed safe, until she returned to it. He felt bad asking for he knew she would have to wake Kat, and bring her. Nick and Jeffery arrived at the house first, to find Derek waiting for them in the Parlor.

"What the hell were you two thinking Nick, going out in to the field like that, without telling anyone?" Derek said, jumping right on his case.

"Derek now is not the time. We have to hurry with Alex's plan. The longer she's out of her body, the harder it will be for her to return to it. So, save the lecture." Nick said. Derek knew he was right. The most important thing now was helping Alex. Melissa had been standing behind Nick, clutching his arm, as she watched Derek. Derek noticed her peeking around at him.

"So you must be Melissa." He said, stepping closer. Melissa retreated further behind Nick.

"You hurt her." Melissa said.

"Hurt who?" Derek questioned her.

"Alex. You hurt her. She's healing now, but you hurt her badly. I feel it here." Melissa said as she placed her hand over her heart.

"We had a misunderstanding. We adults have them from time to time, but Alex and I resolved them. We're still friends, I hope or did you not feel that." Derek asked, curious to know if by rejecting Alex's romantic overtures, he had lost a good friend forever.

"Yes, she still sees you as a friend and mentor." Melissa said, smiling now. "What does mentor mean?" She asked, looking at Nick.

"It's like your teacher."

"Oh."

"This is all very cute and all, but don't you think we need to get started with the mission?" Jeffery said. As they turned towards the control room, Rachel and Kat walked in.

"Hey, what's going on?" Rachel asked, as she released Kat's hand. Kat spotted Melissa, and walked over to her.

"Hello, my name is Kat."

"Hi, I'm Melissa." Melissa said shyly.

"How old are you?" Kat asked.

"10,"

"Me too," Kat replied happily.

"Kat honey, does Melissa look like Alex to you?" Rachel asked.

"No, mom, she looks like a kid." Kat answered, and then she turned back to Melissa. "Hey do you want to go up to my room and play?" They both smiled.

"Sure." Melissa responded.

"Whoa, it's way past bedtime young lady." Rachel interrupted.

"Oh come on mom it's the weekend." Kat protested. Then she put on the puppy dog eyes. "Pleaseeee."

"OK you can entertain our guest, until we're done here, but don't go hiding, I have to check Melissa over first." Rachel called after the girls, who were already running up the stairs. "I'll be up there in a minute."

"Ok Nick, what is it that we have to do?" Derek asked, calmly.

"Melissa helped us make out a list on the way here." Nick said, handing it to Derek. "It's the names of all the children's relatives. According to Alex we need to find those that are still living or their descendents, and bring them to the house."

"Well, that should be simple. We'll use the Legacy databanks." Derek said. "Nick, you and I will do that. Rachel you go find out as much as you can from Melissa. Jeffery you can make yourself comfortable in the den."

"Hey as long as there's a comfy couch in there, I'll be just fine." Jeffery said, finding his own way to the den. Nick and Derek headed for the control room. Once there they began cross referencing files, trying to find matches to the names Melissa had given them.

Up in Kat's room:

Rachel entered to find the girls looking at magazines.

"No they're the Backstreet Boys, and they're NSYNC. I can see how you would get them mixed up." Kat said. "Just remember NSYNC is the better group, and they're cuter."

"I don't know Kat, I think the Backstreet Boys are pretty hot." Rachel said, coming further into the room. Kat looked at her and rolled eyes.

"Mom please, you know less about the Backstreet Boys, then she does. And everything she knows, I just taught her." Kat focused back to Melissa. "What year were you born in anyway?"

"1921. On January 15th." Melissa said, still flipping through the magazine she was holding. Rachel sat down on the floor beside her.

"When did you die, do you remember?" Rachel asked, feeling kind of weird seeing Alex, but knowing it wasn't her inside.

"December 24th, 1931." Melissa answered, looking down at the floor, remembering.

"Christmas eve," Rachel said in dismay. "You poor baby." She thought.

"I had wanted to get my baby sister, Amanda, one present. We were so poor, my parents couldn't afford to." Melissa said, now standing and walking to the window. "Then he stopped me on the street, and he told me he was looking for a girl to clean up his house. That it would be hard work. I would just have to pick up around the house, sweep, and wash the dishes, and he would pay me a quarter a day. With that I could by my whole family presents. But..." She paused, tears running down her face.

"Instead of giving you work he killed you?" Rachel finished.

"Yes, but not at first. In the beginning, he was so nice. He had bought me a pretty dress he wanted me to wear. He took me to a room filled with toys, and he said they were all mine, if I wanted them. He told me he was lonely and that his family had died. But his wife and child, as I would later discover, left him. I don't think he was too kind to them."

"So he wanted you to stay with him, as a mate?" Rachel questioned further.

"Oh no, nothing like that. He brought me there for the same reason he brought all the others. He wanted children. Someone to carry on his name. Some did, like Jeffery's grandfather, but those of us who resisted. Those who wanted to go home he got rid of, fearing they would tell."

"And you wanted to go home?" Rachel asked. Melissa nodded.

"He killed all of us who did, and hid our bodies in the basement. But I wasn't dead, when he buried me. I screamed for a long time, until I was just too exhausted." Melissa said, tears falling from her eyes. Tears also began to well up in Kat's and Rachel's eyes as well, as they listened. "I must have passed out, died, and when I awoke I was in that house with other children. Some were my age, but most of them were just babies."

"Your family never looked for you?" Kat asked, saddened.

"Oh I'm sure they tried. They probably went to the police, but you have to understand, Kat. We're immigrants and we're not too popular with the natives. They would never waste their man power on finding some polish kid. Unless, their parents were rich, and mine aren't…weren't they're probably not even alive now. "

"Bummer." Kat said. Melissa looked at her strangely.

"Bummer?" Melissa repeated with a perplexed look on her face.

"It means that's too bad. You know, tough break." Kat tried to explain. Melissa nodded her head as if she understood, but really didn't. Rachel began standing and wiping the tears from her eyes.

"OK girls, I'm going down stairs to see how the guys are doing. You two don't wonder off."

"You're grounding us?" Kat asked.

"No Kat, you can show Melissa around the house, but don't go outside. Do you understand me young lady?" Rachel asked, pointing her finger at her only child.

"Fine." Kat responded, rolling her eyes. Rachel left the room. Melissa then turned her attention to Kat.

"Do you know how lucky you are to have your mom? I wish I had mine. You really shouldn't spend so much time being mad at her Kat. Time is too short, take it from me."

Back at the control room:

Rachel walked in to find Nick and Derek, both at the terminal, going over the files that they had found on the children's families.

"Hey guys you find anything yet?" Rachel asked, coming up to stand behind them.

"Yes we were able to find all the parents, right here in San Francisco. Unfortunately, there are only five of them still alive. We also found some of the children's siblings." Derek answered. "Hopefully that will be enough to give them peace, getting a chance to say goodbye."

"So, whose parents did you find?" Rachel asked, hoping they had found Melissa's parents. As if reading her mind, Derek answered.

"Both of Melissa's parent's are dead. As for any other relatives, well, we haven't been able to turn up any."

"Oh God, the poor thing misses her family so much, and I had hoped there would be someone." Rachel said, twirling a lock of her hair.

"Did she say anything to you about having siblings?" Nick asked. "Maybe they're still alive." Rachel perked up, and couldn't believe she hadn't remembered.

"Yes, she had a younger sister. Her name was Amanda." Rachel said with delight.

"OK." Nick said typing in the name. "Let's see what we get." After a second a picture of a woman, who looked to be in her early sixties, appeared on the screen. "Bingo!" Nick said. Rachel smile.

"So what do we do now?" Nick asked.

"Now we give these people a call, and tell them that we've found their missing loved ones, and have them meet us at the Brownstone, as soon as possible. We need to get Alex back into her body soon." Derek said, picking up the phone to start calling. Nick followed suit.

"Well, I'm going to go tell Melissa we found her sister." She left the room, heading back up the stairs to Kat's room.

Later, at the Brownstone:

"Alex he's coming." The children cried, as they clung to Alex. She tried to put up a front, but deep down she was terrified.

"It's OK, I won't let him hurt you. I promise." Alex said, pushing the children further behind her. "My friends will be back soon, and they're gong to get us out of here. All of us." Alex said, smiling bravely. However she herself was beginning to doubt if Nick and the others would be able to save them. It had been several hours since they had left.

"Come out from yer hiding." He spoke, looking around. He could smell them, but he couldn't see them. It infuriated him when they hid. They were being naughty children, and they would have to be punished. He did so like punishing them. "I'm going to whip every last one of ya, to an inch of yer lives. Ya hear me?"

"Alex, we're scared." The children clutched her hands, arms, and legs tightly.

"Shhh. I'll protect you."

"Where are you?" He spoke as he appeared through a wall. He spotted the children, standing behind a black woman. "Who the hell are you? What are you doing to my chill'ins?" He moved closer to get a better look at his new guest.

"I'm here to keep them safe, from you." Alex said, glaring him down. "You will set them free. You can't hurt them anymore, I won't let you." Alex yelled at him.

"Oh, really and who are you, missy." He demanded, moving closer.

"Someone who's not afraid of you," Alex spoke bravely. "I'm not some child you can intimidate, and manipulate. So go away!" He stared down at Alex angrily. His eyes blood shot, and his breath freezing cold.

"You dare defy me? You ungrateful brats. I'll destroy you, I'll destroy you all!" He rose high above them, and opened his mouth. It grew wider and wider, and Alex realized that he intended to engulf their spirits. She moved the children further back, but knew their only way out was through him. As his mouth widened more, he moved closer. Alex shielded the children with her own body.

"No!" A voice cried out from behind them. It was Melissa. "Leave them alone!" The ghost turned to see several strangers standing there.

"More uninvited, unwelcome guest. Well, you can die too."

"Oh I don't think so we know who you are, and what you've done to these children." Derek spoke. He than turned and nodded to Nick, Melissa, and Jeffery, who stood just behind him. They left heading to the basement, with a couple of pick axes. "We are going to set these children free." Rachel suddenly ran in. She had been out side awaiting the arrival of the children's relatives, and the demolition crew. They had all pulled up and she now came in to let the others know. Her eyes instantly fell on Alex and all the children.

"My God." Rachel mumbled to herself.

"Rachel, bring the families in now. Let them see their loved ones for the last time, before they are laid to rest in peace." Rachel just nodded, still staring at the children, saddened that there were so many of them. "Rachel, now!" Derek's voice snapped her back to reality, and she hurried out to get them. Down in the basement, Melissa, Nick, and Jeffery set out on their task to dig up the children's bodies.

"OK Melissa where are the bodies?" Nick asked as he and Jeffery both, looked around on the ground for any cracks or unevenness in the dirt.

"No not there." Melissa, who was standing the doorway, spoke. "We're in there." She pointed to the brick wall. Nick and Jeffery followed her finger.

"You're in the wall?" Jeffery asked in disbelief. "He buried all of you behind that wall?"

"Yes." Melissa answered, her tears wetting her face. "And most of us were still alive." Nick swallowed hard, as he began to feel his own tears wanting to fall.

"Ok let's do it." Nick said, moving to the wall, raising the ax, and bringing it down against the wall. "Jeffery I need you here." Jeffery came over, and he too started hitting the wall.

Back up stairs:

"You will not have these children. They don't belong to you." Derek said.

"They are mine. I'm the only family they got." The ghost hissed. He then turned back to the frightened children. "Aint that right, chill'ins?" He smirked at them, seeing the fear he invoked in them.

"No! Don't listen to him. You all have families. Mothers, fathers, sisters, and brothers." Derek said. "And they're here to say good-bye to you all." The children smiled at these words.

"No. That's not true." The ghost said, and for the first time the children could see fear in him.

"Oh but it is. Rachel, now!" Derek yelled. Rachel then entered with the relatives of the children. The children instantly recognized their parents and siblings. They smiled at them, but didn't leave the safety of Alex's arms, which they still clung to. The mothers, fathers, and siblings cried for their long lost family. Their tears were of loss, anger, regret, and happiness. Nick and Jeffery re-entered the room.

"No!!! Their mine, you can't do this." The ghost screamed. His form began to fade in and out.

"Yes. You have no control over them anymore." Derek said, smiling. "They are free."

"Nooooo!!!......." With that the ghost faded completely out.

"Is he gone." The children asked.

"Yes, for now, but the only way to ensure he doesn't come back is to destroy the house." Derek said. "But first we have to find all of your remains and give them proper burials."

"We found all of them." Nick announced. "The son of a bitch, buried them in a wall, and most of them were still alive, and died trying to claw their way out. I have a crew down there now, retrieving the remains."

"Poor babies." Rachel said. "At least they get to see their families again, one last time. Where is Melissa, there's someone here who wants to see her too."

"She was right behind us." Jeffery said, turning to look back through the doorway. Then she appeared. She walked over to Alex, who still stood guarding the children.

"Thank you Alex. I knew you would help us." She smiled at Alex, and then put her hand into Alex's spirit. They were both engulfed in blinding light, and when it cleared. Melissa stood in her true form that of a ghost child, and Alex's body lay on the floor unconscious. Nick and Rachel hurried over to her and checked her pulse.

"She'll be OK. She's just tired." Melissa said, smiling down at her. "When she awakes tell her that we will be eternally grateful to her, and to all of you for helping us."

"Missy?" A woman's voice called out. "Is it really you?" Melissa turned to see an elderly woman standing beside her. Melissa stared at her. The woman looked familiar to her. "It's me, Amanda."

"Mandy?" Melissa smiled. "I didn't think I would ever get to see you again." Melissa then looked around. "Where's mama and papa?"

"They both died soon after you left. Papa died from the flu. He went out every night, after he came home from work, to look for you. Mama died of a broken heart."

"So I will still see them again." Melissa smiled at this thought.

"Yes, and you can give them my love." Amanda said.

"Oh I will, I promise. I missed you so much Mandy."

"I missed you too." Amanda said as she choked on her tears. One of the crew members walked in.

"Dr. Ranye, we have all the remains, and we've set the plastic explosives and detonators and we've removed all the neighbors to a safe distance. We're ready to blow the house."

"Oh man do we really have to blow up the house?" Jeffery asked.

"It's the only way to ensure that they will be free." Derek said, pointing at the children. Jeffery watched them as they said their farewells to their families. Jeffery then knew there was no other option. "Everyone it's time." Derek said to the children and their relatives. They all finished saying their good byes, and moved to the center of the room. A bright light surrounded them, and started lifting their souls, upward.

"Good-bye and thank you all." The children called out as their souls disappeared up into the light. Before completely disappearing, Melissa's soul returned. She moved to where Nick was standing, holding Alex in his arms. Melissa leaned in and kissed Alex's cheek.

"I will never forget you Alex." She whispered, and then flew up into the light, which disappeared behind her.

"Ok let's go." Derek commanded the others to leave. Once outside they all watched as the brownstone imploded and crumbled to the ground, and as a bull dowser plowed over the rumble. Derek had promised the families that once they had identified the children's remains, he would make sure that their remains were returned to them for proper burial.

Later, back at Angel Island:

Alex had awakened to discover she was in her bed, and it was noon. She got up, showered and made her way to the control room. As she was about to enter, she was greeted by Eve, the automated voice, installed into the house when it was rebuilt.

"Good morning Alex."

"Good morning Eve." Alex walked into the room to find Nick at one of the terminals. "Morning Nick." She smiled at him.

"Well, good morning sleeping beauty." Nick smiled back at her. "I was beginning to think you were under some kind of spell."

"I know, I feel like I've been out of it for a while. What happened?" Alex asked, running her fingers through her hair. "I mean the last thing I remembered were you guys arriving just in time, before we were all eaten by that ghost."

"Well, the children were able to say goodbye to their families, and then they were freed. All thanks to you." Nick said.

"Oh I had help, thank you." Alex said now standing behind Nick. She leaned down and threw her arms around his neck.

"What are you thanking me for? You were the one who had her body taken over by a ghost, and then left alone to battle an evil spirit."

"Yeah but you were the one who went out with me in the wee hours of the morning to help someone you don't even like, and giving me support, like always." Alex said, kissing his cheek.

"I have to admit, I'm no fan of Jeffery Starr, but you, I adore, and I'll always have your back." They both smiled.

"Speaking of Jeffery, what happened with him? He's technically homeless now." Alex asked, still standing behind Nick with her chin resting on his shoulder.

"No he's not homeless in fact Derek thought it would be a good idea to let him stay here for awhile, until he finds an apartment." Nick said, looking sour. "He said that it was the least we could do." Alex started laughing.

"You and Jeffery, living under the same roof?" Alex laughed harder as she stood upright. "Wait where's is he sleeping at? All the spare rooms are storage area for all the archives items we have yet to catalogue. The only rooms available are mine, Derek's, and yours." Alex snickered, knowing that Nick had a new roommate. Nick just groaned. "Well if you'd like, I'll volunteer to share my room.

"With Jeffery? No way, I' ll endure the agony." Nick said standing. They both headed towards the exit.

"Actually I meant that you could sleep with me." Alex said. Nick's face turned red at her words. "I meant come sleep in my room, with me." She too was now blushing.

"You really wouldn't mind?" Nick asked as they now stood out in the hall.

"Why would I. I've slept with you before, and believe me it's nothing that I'd brag to my friends about." Alex said, smiling.

"Oh wise guy aye?" Nick lifted her up and threw her over his shoulder. He bolted down the hall and then down the stairs as fast as he could. Alex screamed and laughed the whole way. For the first time the newly rebuilt mansion was beginning to feel and sound like home, again.

Fin


	5. Episode 5: Endless Love

**Episode 5: Endless Love by ThePTLLovers**

Morning in the San Francisco house:

Alex and Derek had been down in the kitchen, for nearly an hour, having a heated discussion.

"Alex I just think with you and Nick living together and working so closely with each other. Well, it would make things too complicated for you two to have a relationship." Derek said.

Oh please Derek, what relationship? We go out to dinners and to movies. You make it sound as if we've already announced our engagement." Alex said nibbling on a croissant.

"So you're saying that you and Nick are just friends?" Derek questioned curiously.

"No, that's not what I'm saying." Alex said becoming irritated with the whole conversation. "I'm saying that it's really none of your business, what we are." At that moment Nick entered the room.

"Are you two fighting again?" Nick asked cozily taking a seat next to Alex. "I could hear you guys down the hall." He reached into Alex's plate and grabbed a croissant for himself.

"Actually, Derek was just telling me that we, you and I that is, shouldn't be getting too involved with each other, because we work together." Alex said summarizing the conversation.

"Why has the Legacy started a new policy, stating that co-workers can't date?" Nick asked, still munching on the bread. "I must have missed that report."

"No, I just want to make you and Alex aware of where I stand on the matter. I don't want your personal affairs interfering nor conflicting with Legacy business."

"Derek, Alex and I aren't lovers, if that's what you're implying." Nick said as he took note of the look of relief in Derek's eyes, at his words. "But when we decide we're ready to go to that level in our relationship." Nick continued smiling, causing Alex to nearly choke on the orange juice she was sipping. "We'll be sure not to mention it, because it would be our business and not yours, and definitely not the Legacy's." Nick reached into Alex's plate again, and snatched up a strip of bacon, which he quickly scarfed down. Alex sat looking at her plate as she moved her eggs around with her fork. She was too embarrassed to look at either of the men sitting with her.

"Very well," Derek gave in, seeing that he had over stepped a boundary. "So long as you two don't let your relationship affect your duties to the Legacy." Derek stood to leave. Nick causally placed his arm around Alex letting it rest on the back of her chair.

"Don't worry, we won't." Nick smiled at Derek, than looked to Alex. "Isn't that right Pookie." Alex began to smile at Nick, realizing he was trying to aggravate Derek.

"Oh yeah, right Babycakes." Alex replied, glaring at Nick. Derek nodded then walked out. Alex busted out in laughter, which grew louder when Nick started tickling her.

"Babycakes?" He repeated, poking her in the sides.

"Hey you called me Pookie first." Alex laughed, smacking his hands away.

"Oh yeah I did, didn't I?" He stopped the tickling. "I guess I deserved Babycakes then."

"Yes you did." Alex said still smiling. "What the hell was that all about anyway?"

"Isn't it obvious? Derek's jealous." Nick said now taking Alex's glass of orange juice and sipping it. "And what would you want to bet that we won't be going on that dig in Cairo together."

"You're not suggesting that Derek will pull one of us off the case." Alex said smiling at him. Nick just arched his brows. "Get serious Nick. Derek wouldn't do that unless he felt he had a legitimate reason, and I really don't see jealousy being one of them. I mean, he was the one who told me he wasn't interested, remember."

"Yeah but I'm sure he wasn't expecting you to move on. He probably thought you'd be pining over him forever. And I know he didn't think you'd put the moves on me." Nick said, smiling, knowing he was riling her up.

"Ha! I put the moves on you? Nick please. If I were to ever put moves on you, oh you'd know it, without a doubt."

"Really?" Nick asked, leaning in closer. So close that Alex could feel the heat from his breath on her lips. "And exactly what would you do?" Alex swallowed hard as Nick moved in closer. Their lips slightly touched. Alex's heart began to race as she stared deeply into Nick's hazel eyes, which stared back into hers intensely.

"Good morning." Kat said, skipping into the kitchen. Both Nick and Alex jumped in their seats, startled.

"Morning Kitty-Kat." Alex said smiling as she picked up her glass of juice and began gulping it.

"Morning." Nick said also smiling as he continued to stare at Alex, amused by her nervous behavior. "Where's your mom?"He asked now looking at Kat.

"She's in Derek's office. He called and asked that we come over." Kat said, plopping down in a chair.

"You don't seem too pleased." Alex said standing and walking to the counter, which she leaned against. She wanted to put some distance between herself and Nick. Nick's gaze followed her. "Aren't you happy to see us?"

"Well, yeah, but..."

"But?" Alex probed further.

"Sometimes I want to do things with my mom. You know just the two of us." Kat said, picking up a croissant from the plate on the table.

"And whenever you guys try, we snatch up your mom on Legacy business." Nick said. Kat just nodded her head. "I know how you feel. My dad was a member of the Legacy too, and they were always keeping him away from us."

"That's not the same thing Nick. You didn't even like your dad when you were growing up. You told me you liked it when he was away, that it was the only time that you, your brother, and your mom had peace." Kat said. Alex looked at Nick sadly.

"That's true, but there were some things I needed him for. Times when it would have been nice to have him around." Nick said then he looked at his watch. "Well, if you will excuse me, I have a date with a lady." He said rising from the table. Alex looked at him intrigued.

"Oh really. Anyone I know?" She asked, trying not to sound overly concerned. Nick smiled at her sensing the hint of jealousy.

"Why yes you do." Nick said, walking up to where she stood. He reached around her and grabbed an apple from the fruit dish perched on the counter. "Eve. There are some glitches in her program." Nick smiled at Alex, who smiled back, despite herself.

"Yeah she's talking weird." Kat added. "What does, Buenos Dias, Senorita Kat, mean?"

"It means good morning Kat." Alex said laughing. "In Spanish."

"That's great. Yesterday it was Swahili. I better work fast, before she starts speaking a language I don't understand, and she won't be able to tell me where it hurts." Nick smiled as he walked to the door, before walking out he turned back to Alex and gave her a wink. "We'll finish that conversation, later." Alex just stood there, blushing.

Derek had made his way, aimlessly, to his office. He sat there in the dark, not wanting to be disturbed. "What's wrong with me?" He thought to him self. "Why is it that everything good in my life, I ruin.? Whenever someone incredible comes along, I push them away." His thoughts again fell to Alex and the kiss they shared, and to her confession of love for him. He wondered what is was about him, that made him revolt against Alex's advances. God knows she was beautiful and intelligent, so that wasn't the problem. His thoughts then turned to Megan. She too had had revealed her love to him, right before she was murdered by Horton. Even then, laying in bed holding her, as she whispered the words to him, "I Love You." he still wouldn't open his self enough to reciprocate the words and emotions, even though he felt the same way in his heart. "Oh Megan." He sighed. "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I didn't share my true feelings with you, but mostly I'm sorry that being involved with me, got you killed." Derek closed his eyes and began to dream. Sweet dreams, filled with what could have been. He didn't have long to drift, before a knock came at the door.

"Derek?" Rachel called out as she stuck her head inside the dark room. She was blinded by the darkness. "Derek you in here?" She stepped further inside the room.

"Eve, could you dim the lights, please." Derek said. The lights slowly lit up the room. "Come in Rachel." Derek said not getting up, as he usually did.

"When you called, you sounded a little desperate. It worried me, so I rushed right over." Rachel said taking the seat in front of Derek's desk.

"It's nothing really." Derek said, smiling, warmed by his friend's concern. "I'm sorry if I worried you. I just wanted to go over the plans for the dig in Cairo. I was just now thinking, and how would you like to go?"

"Me? Yeah." Rachel answered excitedly, without thinking on it long. "Wait, I thought Nick and Alex were going."

"Yes, well there's been a change of plans, you and Nick will be going. I need Alex here translating the data you two will transmit back to us."

"I know Alex wasn't too happy about that when you told her." Rachel said. "She's really been hoping for an assignment like this for as long as I've known her."

"I haven't told her yet." Derek said, picking up a note from his desk, which he started to read.

"Oh." Rachel said, staring at Derek intensely. "May I ask why you're really keeping Alex here? Did you two have another fall out?"

"No, nothing like that. Alex is an expert at translating ancient Egyptian. It would stand to reason that she should stay behind, and work on that from this end. She's needed here." Derek said.

"Maybe, but she's still gonna be pissed that you're taking her off this assignment."

"She'll have to get over it. Besides, there will be more assignments like this one." Derek said, reading over more of the papers on his desk, never looking up at Rachel.

Just outside Derek's office, in the control room, Nick was finishing work on Eve. "OK, how's that Eve?" He asked, wanting to make sure he got all the glitches out of her program.

_"Ohh, much better Nick, thanks to you."_ Eve said in a sexy voice. Over the past few months Nick had grown use to Eve's advances towards him. In fact he liked the sweet nothings she whispered to him, when no one else was around. Alex walked into the room, carrying two mugs of coffee. She walked to Nick, and handed him one of the cups, which he took graciously.

"I thought you could use a cup." She smiled. He stared at the contours of her mouth, and the way her lips curled up at the corners. He returned a smiled as he sipped at the coffee.

"So how's it coming?" How ya feeling Eve?" Alex questioned.

_"Oh I'm just fine Alex, Nick has wonderful hands."_ Eve answered.

"Really?" Alex said sipping more of her coffee in the hopes it covered the sly smile on her face.

"Yeah I'll have to give you a demonstration some time." Nick added. Alex started blushing again. Before she could answer Derek and Rachel, walked out of the office.

"Good you're both here." Derek said. "There's been a change in plans, concerning the trip." Both Nick and Alex watched their precept with concern in their eyes.

"What has the trip been postponed?" Nick asked.

"No, I've decided that Rachel will accompany you, instead of Alex." Derek said.

"What?" Alex glared at him.

"I need you here Alex, working on the translations."

"Why, Eve is equipped to translate whatever data we send her." Nick spoke up trying to defuse the matter. Nick could see that Alex was losing her cool.

"No, there are some things I like to leave to man, rather than computers. It's easier to track a mistake we make. No offense Eve." Derek said.

_"None taken, Dr Rayne." _Eve replied.

"I don't believe this. Well you called it right Nick. He did find a way to keep us a part on this trip." Alex said shaking her head, as she continued to glare at Derek.

"This is not a personal attack Alex, nor some kind of punishment." Derek defended.

"Really? Well, I find that hard to believe, considering that this morning you were lecturing me on getting to involving with Nick. That you didn't think it was good for us to be getting so close. Do you remember that Derek?" Alex asked as her blood boiled.

"Yes I recall our earlier conversation, Alex, but it has nothing to do with me sending Rachel to Cairo, instead of you. It is like I said, I nee..."

"Save it Derek." Alex said rolling her eyes at him. She then turned to Rachel. "Well I hope you haven't packed any bags yet, Rach, because I'm going on this assignment. Regardless of what anyone says." Alex then turned and left the room. Nick shot Derek a look, before heading after Alex. Rachel stood there with Derek tapping her foot.

"Well, I guess you won't be going to Cairo after all." Derek finally said.

"Naw, you think?" Rachel said sarcastically. "How dare you get me involved in some jealous fit you're having over Alex." Derek looked at her, ready to defend his self. "Please don't waste your time telling me this whole thing has nothing to do with what Alex just said. It's obvious you're jealous of Alex's and Nick's new relationship, and the only person you have to blame is yourself. Alex was crushed after you rejected her, and Nick was there for her, helping her pick up the pieces. It's natural that they would grow closer. They were already like two peas in a pod. What is this about, Derek? Are you now interested in Alex?"

"No, it's just that." Derek began turning to face Rachel. "When I saw the way she and Nick were with each other. I guess I began wonder, why couldn't that be me. What is it in me that prevents me from having a relationship." Rachel's demeanor softened.

"So, you're not jealous of Nick and Alex, but of the fact that they are capable of having a relationship, some outside of the Legacy. You don't think you can?"

"My history has shown that I can't. No matter how hard I try. Just look at what happened to Megan." Derek said saddened by the memory of her.

"That wasn't your fault Derek." Rachel consoled.

"Wasn't it?" Derek said, looking at Rachel. "Megan was killed by Horton, to get to me. Every time I try to have some sort of a normal life, something intervenes."

"The Legacy." Rachel said. Derek stared at her confused. "That something that keeps intervening, it's the Legacy."

"So what do you suggest I do, quit?" Derek asked now smiling.

"No I know the Legacy is your life, but it wouldn't hurt you to take a vacation." Rachel said. "In fact, why don't you accompany Nick and Alex to Cairo. Take in the sites. Go to a couple of nightclubs. You know, live a little." Derek smiled, nodding his head.

"That's not a bad idea." Derek said heading out. Rachel just stood there watching him.

"It's not?"

"No it's not, and I think I will." Rachel followed him now, as he walked out of the room.

"You will?" Rachel repeated, shocked by what she had heard. "You're not going to tell me that your presence is needed here. Or that it would be a waste of personnel, to send three bodies, to do the work of two."

"No, because I don't plan on doing anything, except take in the sites, like the doctor ordered." Derek smiled as he walked down the hallway. Rachel stared after him. She couldn't believe it had been that easy, usually he put up more resistance.

Upstairs in Alex's room, Alex stormed in, and nearly slammed the door in Nick's face. He caught the door with his foot.

"Whoa, watch it slugger." Nick said, entering and closing the door behind him.

"Ahh, that man makes me so mad sometimes." Alex said, throwing herself across the bed. Nick got on the bed and laid beside her.

"Hey, I'm proud of you. You handled yourself well." Nick said, pulling at onee of her curls. "I half expected you to deck him, but you acted like a lady, and you stood your ground. You didn't let him bully you, like usual."

"No, I didn't, did I?" Alex agreed smiling. She rolled onto her side, to face Nick, perching herself on her elbow. "You don't think it was a too much?"

"Nope." Nick said, rolling on his back, and resting his head on his hands. "If it had been me, I would have decked him." Alex laughed.

"God, Nick that felt so good." Alex said, rolling back onto her back.

"Well, Derek can be a major asshole at times, he deserved it."

"You know its times like this, when he behaves like that, which makes me wonder what I ever saw in him."

"I'd like to know that myself, actually." Nick said, rolling on his elbows. "What did you see in Derek?"

"I don't know. I think it was just a schoolgirl's crush on her teacher. He was so worldly and I was so homely. He was like an unreachable dream. I knew even then, that he probably would never be interested in me." Alex said, looking up at the ceiling, and then she looked into Nick's eyes. "Hasn't there ever been someone you knew, that you wanted to go up to and just grab them, kiss them, and tell them that you absolutely adore them?" Alex asked, her eye gleaming. Nick stared down at her with soft eyes. He lifted one of her curls, and started twirling it around his fingers.

"Yes, one special lady, but I never told her. I didn't think she was ready to hear it." Nick said, almost in a whisper.

"Well you should have, life is too short. In fact you should find her, whomever she is, and tell her how you feel."

"Really, and what should I say, exactly?" Nick asked.

"Oh something sweet and romantic." Alex said, thinking about it for a moment. "I know, you should lovingly take her face into your hands, and gently, softly kiss her lips. Then tell her that she's your moon and stars." Alex smiled, closing her eyes. Nick stared down at her beautiful face. He held his hand above her face, and traced its contours. He slowly moved his face down to hers. She opened her eyes, but she didn't make any noise of resistance.

"Alex..." He whispered as he leaned in closer.

"Hmm." Alex responded her heart pounding and her voice locked in her throat.

"I…" Nick started, his lips grazing hers.

"Alex." A voice broke through the tension in the air. It was Derek on the speaker phone. Nick reluctantly rolled off Alex, as she fought the urge to wrap her arms and legs around him, and hold him to her. She reached over and pushed the speaker phone button.

"Yes."

"I hope you and Nick have finished packing, because we leave in thirty minutes." Derek said, then signed off.

"We, Derek?" Alex responded. "Derek? Did he just say we, as in you, me, and himself."

"It sounded like it." Nick said, sitting up on the bed. He threw his feet over the side of the bed, and stood to leave.

"Wait, you didn't finish what you were going to say." Alex said, wanting to finish what was started.

"I'll tell you later. It's a pretty heated conversation, and we don't have the time right now to get into it." Nick said, opening the door.

"But we will finish it, right?" Alex asked, hoping.

"Oh yeah." Nick smiled then walked out, closing the door behind him.

At the Cairo house:

"Sire, we just lost another crew of workers. They're convinced that the dig site is cursed." Malik said. He was the house's head researcher, and expert on the Egyptian Pharaohs and Monarch families.

"Silly superstition." Mohammed, the house's precept, said. "Well, hire another crew, and continue the dig. This is the greatest find of a lifetime Malik. The tomb of a king that no one believed ever ruled. If we find him we can prove that a monarch from outside of Egypt, ruled here along side our Pharaohs." Mohammed spoke, looking out the window that over looked the Nile.

"Sire, I don't think we'll be able to find any locals that will come dig for us. The word is out about the weird things that have occurred at the site. A monstrous sand strom in the middle of the night. The loud moans, from what they believed to be the mummy of the dead king, awaking from his 5000 year sleep, coming to get them, for waking him. I can't even entice the poorest of Cairo to come dig for us."

"Then you find workers outside the city. Or go outside the country. I don't care, for we will complete this venture, as scheduled. We have one of the houses from the states, coming to oversee our efforts. They will report the progress to the Luna Foundation, and they will decide if they will continue to finance of project. We have worked on this for far too long for it to fall through now, Malik. We need funding from the Foundation to finish the dig. So, do whatever you have to, but we must finish the dig as scheduled.

"Yes, sire." Malik said then left the room on his mission.

On the jet, heading to Cairo:

Nick, Alex, and Derek were moments away from landing at the Cairo airport, they had left hours before, leaving Rachel to run things on her end. Both Nick and Alex were a little confused as to why Derek was accompanying them, and he made no attempt to share his reasons with them.

"This is a number you can reach me at if you need me." Derek finally said, handing the card to Nick.

"Aren't you coming to the dig site with us?" Nick asked as he read the number and the name of the hotel, printed on the card.

"No I trust that you two are capable to head up this assignment on your own. I'm just here as a tourist, to site see. It's been years since I was here last, and there's an old friend I'd like to look up. There are also some new Museums that weren't here before, that I'd like to check out."

"So, you're just here site seeing?" Alex asked skeptically.

"Yes, I suppose you could say that." Derek answered. The stewardess walked back to them.

"We are about to land, so you need to fasten your seat belts please." She smiled at them, then she turned and headed back to where she had come from. They each buckled themselves securely in their seats and none of them spoke further.

Back at the house, Rachel and Kat were in the control room. Rachel was making sure everything was set up for her to receive transmission from the dig site. There was even a camera that would digitally show Nick and Alex working at the site. Kat was at one of the terminals, playing a game of checkers with Eve. Kat was glad that Eve was around, she felt less alone in the house. Now, she had someone to hang out with. The main screen suddenly turned on, and there was a scrambled picture. Rachel tried to make out what it was, she assumed it was Nick or Alex, setting up things from their end. Then, a voice called out.

"Rachel?"

"Alex? Yeah I can hear you loud and clear, but I'm not seeing you too well." Rachel responded.

"We know, Nick is setting up the satellite as we speak. We should be able to see each other in a moment." Alex said and there was a moment of silence, then Alex's face appeared on the screen.

"Hi Rach." Alex said, smiling. "And hello Kitty-Kat." Kat now looked up from her and Eve's game. She got up and walked to where her mother stood.

"Cool." Kat said, staring in amazement.

"Way cool." Nick said, walking into the screen's view. "How are things from your end Rachel?"

"Everything's set up, and rearing to go. We're just waiting to receive data from you guys." Rachel answered. She then turned her attention to Alex. "So, Alex, is it everything you hoped it would be?"

"Oh so much more, Rachel it's so beautiful here. Everything; the landscape, the people. It's amazing Rachel." Alex said, throwing her head back, and letting the sun shine on her face.

"You're not thinking about staying there, are you?" Rachel asked smiling.

"The thought had crossed my mind."

"Don't worry Rach, I'll bring her back. Tied and gagged if I have to." Nick said, winking at Alex. "But I have to admit, it's pretty darn amazing."

"Have you found any mummies yet?" Kat cut in.

"No sweetie, but they have broken through the entryway leading down to the actual tomb. We'll probably set up camp here tonight, and first thing in the morning, start the hike down to the tomb. We'll have our mummy probably this time tomorrow. And since we have these head cams." Alex continued as she held up the camera. "You will be able to see everything minutes after it happens."

"Cool." Kat said again as she walked back to finish her game with Eve.

"There's nothing going on here. They've shut things down for the day, so we're going to log off, but we'll be back on line first thing in the morning." Nick said.

"OK, and guys please be careful." Rachel said. Nick and Alex looked at each other, then at Rachel.

"OK, mom." They both said, laughing, and then the screen went black. Rachel stood there smiling at the screen.

Back in Cairo, Nick and Alex decided to drive to the nearby town, to do some gift shopping. They both had promised Kat that they would return home bearing gifts, and they knew that she would pounce on them as soon as they entered the house. Upon entering the town, they saw that the streets were filled with little shops and vendors. Alex spotted a shop that sold scarves and lovely garments.

"Oh stop there, Nick." She pointed to the shop, as she leaned out of the jeep. Nick followed orders, puling along side the shop. Alex hopped out, and was swarmed by the nearby, local women. They all fell to their knees at Alex's feet. Alex and Nick stared at them confused. Then Alex turned to Nick.

"What did I do wrong?" She asked Nick, who had more knowledge of the Egyptian customs then she did.

"Well, nothing bad. They seem to be having the same thought I've had since I first laid eyes on you."

"I'm afraid to ask, but what thought would that be?"

"That you're a Goddess." Nick smiled at her. Seeing the confusion on her face, Nick went on to explain. "It is custom to bow like they are now, when you meet royalty. In their case that would be a Pharaoh or Queen."

"So they think I'm a Queen?" Alex repeated. Nick nodded his head.

"Yup. You must resemble one of their Queens from ancient times. It is possible that you are the direct descendent of an Egyptian royal family." Nick said, looking down at the women, who were still at Alex's feet. "Hey if I were you, I'd milk it. It will probably never happen again, except of course went I gravel at your lovely feet." Nick smiled. Alex smiled back, and started blushing, which was something she found her self doing a lot lately in Nick's presence.

"Well, tell them to please get up." Alex said.

"Hey you're on your own there. I know the customs, not the language. Besides, you're the translations expert."

"I translate it, but I don't speak it." Alex said. "Man I really wish you guys would get up." Alex said to the women, who rose to their feet, at Alex's command. "Good you understand me?"

"Yes my lady." An elderly lady spoke as she took Alex's hand.

"Well what was that all about?" Nick asked.

"Oh that's just our way of showing respect. You look so much like one of our beloved Queens. Her name was Mesha~Noon(Me-sha-Noon)."

"I've never heard of an Egyptian Queen by that name." Nick said.

"No. That's because she was a Queen only to the slaves." The woman said. "She herself was born a slave, and later became one of the King's concubines. She was branded his whore by her family and her people. Then, she became their savior."

"What did she do?" Alex asked, intrigued by the story.

"The King fell in love with her. She became his moon and stars. Soon he was under her spell, and her control. She commanded the King, who commanded the slaves. Because of her, the slaves had better lives, and were eventually freed to do and go as they pleased, but they stayed to serve the King. See Mesha~Noon had convinced the King that by giving the slaves better lives, they would be forever loyal to him, and they were." The woman said, smiling up at Alex as she stroked her cheek. "And you, my dear, resemble the portrait of her kept at the museum." Alex smiled back at the woman.

"Well I'm honored to remind you of someone, who seemed to be a remarkable woman.

"Oh she was. Come I have something for you. I've been holding it for years. I now know why I never threw it out." The woman led Alex inside her shop, leaving Nick to wait outside. After several moments, Alex emerged from the shop. She was dressed in a white silk and stain garment, with a veil covering most of her face. Her midriff was also exposed. She stood before Nick, who stared at her speechless.

"What you don't like it?" Alex asked, becoming self conscious. "It is a bit much, but it so beautiful."

"Yes it is." Nick said, looking into Alex's eyes. "Very beautiful." Alex smiled at the compliment she knew was for her, and not the clothes she was wearing. "Now I feel under dressed."

"You look fine, Nick."

"It is believed to be the outfit Mesha~Noon wore to wed her beloved. Come, I think I may have something for you too." The woman said, pulling Nick by the arm. This time Alex waited outside, and when Nick returned he was dressed much like the local men, walking around them. Except his attire seemed to match Alex's, and he wore a Turban. Alex smiled.

"You look so handsome." Alex said moving to him, and placing a kiss on his cheek. "We better get back to the site. What do we owe you?"

"Oh nothing, just gracing us with your beauty is enough. There is something else I'd like to give you." The woman said, reaching in to the bag she carried around her shoulder. She pulled out a necklace with a pendent in the shape of a cat, attached. The woman placed the necklace around Alex's neck.

"Oh it's lovely." Alex said, touching the pendent. "Thank you." Alex embraced the woman.

"Now you must go, I feel a storm is coming." Then the woman walked into her store. Alex turned to Nick to show him her charm, and then she looked up at the sky.

"There's not a cloud in the sky. I don't think it's going to storm." Alex said with her hands above her eyes, blocking the sun.

"She was referring to a sand storm." Nick said hopping back into the jeep. "And believe me you don't want to be caught in one of those. Stings." Nick said making his body tremble. Alex looked at him a little concerned.

"Stings?" Alex repeated as she too jumped into the jeep. "Stings, like how?"

"Like a thousand bees stinging you all at once." Nick said, driving off.

On the other side of Cairo, Derek had gone out on a walk to fully take in the beautiful scenery of the city. It had been years since he last visited, but the people and customs hadn't really changed. The men still smiled and nodded their hellos. The women never making eye contact, and giggling as they passed. The children, the friendliest of all, coming up, hoping the American had goodies in his pockets. Derek took comfort in this, finding security in the fact that some things remain unchanged through the passage of time. Derek had made his way to the steps of the University, where his long time friend, Julu, was a professor. "Another factor that hadn't changed." Derek thought, smiling. He wondered aimlessly throught the halls although he knew exactly where he was going. He stopped in front of Julu's office, and knocked at the door.

"Yes come in." A fimiliar voice, with a heavy accent called out. Derek entered the office to find his friend sitting at his desk, reading over papers. Julu never looked up. "Have a seat, I'll be with you in just a moment." Julu said, still reading over the papers. Derek did as he was told, sitting and letting his eyes roam over the walls. There were several new certificates, replacing the bareness that once occupied the space. Derek smiled, pleased to see that his old comrade had done so well for his self. "Yes, now wha.." Julu said, looking up for the first time, into Derek's face. A friend he hadn't seen in decades. "By the Pharaohs, Derek Ranye!" Julu said now standing and walking around the desk to embrace Derek. "My, my. How long has it been, my friend?"

"Far too long." Derek said, releasing him.

"And why has it been so long?" Julu asked, crossing his arms, and tapping his foot. Derek smiled remembering the many calls from Julu, asking him to come visit, but Derek had said he couldn't get away. He would say it was due too much paperwork, Luna Foundation work.

"That doesn't matter now, because I'm here." Derek said.

"Yes you are, and it only took you twenty-five years." Julu smiled as Derek laughed.

"Has it really been that long?" Derek asked. "Well, never the less, I'm here."

"For how long, because I'm sure you've read about the dig going on here. The tomb of the Pharaoh that no one knew existed, or just didn't care to remember. His name was Shakna Fearna. The University is helping with the dig. I, myself, am the liaisons for the University, being that I'm the only expert on the subject. It's the talk of the town"

"Yes, actually it's a project of the Luna Foundation." Derek said. Julu looked at him suspiciously.

"Ahh, so that's why you're here."

"No. I have two of my colleagues working on it. I'm here just to enjoy this beautiful city, and see an old friend." Derek smiled and placed his hand on Julu's shoulder. "That is if he's not too busy."

"For you, never." Julu said, slapping Derek on the back. "In fact you're heaven sent at the moment, because there's some things about the scrolls they pulled from the tomb, last week, that's got me stumped. Maybe you can help with it." Derek looked at his friend wearily. "Hey the sooner I can solve this mystery of the "Unknown Pharaoh", the sooner you and I can pick up right where we left off twenty-five years ago." Julu said, leading Derek out of the room, and to the storage area, where they kept their archives.

"If I recall correctly, we left off, trying to smuggle stolen artifacts across the boarder, with the Cairo police close on our tails." Derek said. Julu laughed at the recollection.

"Ahh, the good ole days, eh?" Julu said as they headed down the hall.

Elsewhere:

Nick and Alex had made it only a couple of miles from the town, before the sand storm nearly engulfed them. Nick had spotted some old ruins, and stopped for them to take refuge within its structure. Nick and Alex bolted from the jeep, and ran inside.

"My God, it came on quickly." Alex said, peering out of, what appeared to have once been a building. Nick yanked her back before a whip of sand struck her in the face.

"Yeah, that's how they start, very quickly. You might not want to put your head out like that. I'd hate to see that beautiful face of yours sandblasted off." Nick said. Alex crinkled up her nose at the thought.

"So, how long do these thing last anyway?" Alex asked as she started moving around the room, surveying the walls.

"Sometimes seconds, sometimes hours, and sometimes days."

"Days!" Alex said, swinging around to look at Nick, who had made a cozy place in a corner where he was sitting. Then with an enlightened look on her face, Alex said, "Well, at least you're here with me." She smiled, as did Nick.

"I wouldn't be anywhere else." Nick winked. Alex smile broadened. She began looking at the ceiling.

"You know this must have been something magnificent in its day. Judging from the pictures, painted on the walls and ceiling, I'd stay someone important once stayed here." Alex said as she walked around a corner.

"Hey Al, don't go off too far. You don't know how sturdy this place is." Nick said, but his words fell on deaf ears. Alex had already wandered out of earshot. Nick groaned as he pulled himself up. "Alex." he said, following her path.

"Hey Nick." Alex said as she appeared out of nowhere, causing Nick to jump in startled. Alex held a torch in her hand. "Look what I found, and there's a crack in the wall over there that we can easily squeezed through."

"We? Let me guess, you want to go exploring." Nick said, pulling out matches and lighting the torch. "Al, I don't think that's a good idea. This place may not be safe."

"Oh come on Nick." Alex said, tugging gently at his arm. "We're in Egypt. The land of exploration. Most of the people visiting this country are here to dig and explore. As are we, remember?"

"Yeah but our exploration site is that way." Nick said, pointing in the direction of the dig site.

"But we're here Nick, and who knows we could be the first, besides the people who once lived here, to walk these corridors." Alex said, biting the bottom of her lip. "Please." Nick groaned again, and rolled his eyes.

"Fine, but I'm leading." Nick said, which Alex started to protested. Then Nick silenced her by saying, "Or we don't go."

"Fine." She said, figuring she could always take the lead later.

"And we only go a short ways. If we find something of interest we'll have one of the crews from the dig to come back."

"Fine." Alex said in agreement. With that settled, Nick made his way through the crack, which he had deducted, Alex made bigger, due to the freshly crumble rocks around his feet. He looked back at her suspiciously. "What? They fell when I was looking through to the other side." Alex lied.

"Right." Nick said, stepping through the crack. Alex followed. They were instantly engulfed by an icy breeze, that whistled as it passed. Nick found a torch on the wall beside them, and lit it with the one he held. Just from the small area the torch shown on, Nick and Alex could tell they were in some grand hall.

Elsewhere:

He turned suddenly, "What was that?" he wondered. He paced pondering whether or not he should leave his sanctuary, and investigate. It has been so long since he had been out. He never again wanted to see the outside world. His world ended when she left. "I don't want to leave, but I hated it when those bastards loot my home. They have no right." he hissed. Then he caught a familiar scent in the wind. "My God, it can not be." he said, turning and running from his room. A room that had been his world for the past five thousand years.

Back within the ruins, Nick and Alex walked further down the corridor, lighting the torches along the walls.

"Nick does any of the hieroglyphics look familiar to you?" Alex said, tracing her fingers along the paintings on the wall.

"No, why?" Nick said, standing behind her, watching her.

"Well, I'm not 100% sure, but they look like the same pictures painted around the tomb."

"No, you're right. I copied some of them to send back, so Rach could translate them." Nick said.

"So this place belonged to the same king we're trying to learn more about. You know for someone unknown or unremembered he sure had some unforgettable structures built." Alex said, looking around. Suddenly, as if someone had opened a door, a gush of wind filled the corridor. It was so strong, it nearly knocked both Nick and Alex down. Nick grabbed Alex close to him, shielding her. As quickly as it had started, the wind had dispersed.

"OK, Al, I think we need to go now." Nick said, pushing Alex back towards the crack they had entered through. Ancient eyes watched them, focusing upon the Nubian woman.

"It's not possible." The ancient one said to his self. "Mesha~Noon." he whispered the name in the wind, which carried it to Nick and Alex.

"Did you hear that?" Alex asked, clutching Nick's arm. Nick pulled his gun, and aimed it all around their perimeter.

"Yep. I think we've outstayed our welcome, lets go." Nick said as they both backed out quickly. The ancient one didn't make a move. He sensed the thing in the man's hand was some sort of weapon. He was ancient, but he could be damaged. Alex was first to disappear through the crack, leaving the ancient one aching once again. An ache that began the night his beloved Mesha~Noon had left him. Over the eons it had lessened, but now it was like a fresh wound. Nick moved through the crack, where Alex stood on the other side, waiting. Once through, Nick grabbed Alex's hand and they ran to the entry of the structure, and back out to the jeep. Neither of them stopped to see that the storm had subsided. Nick started the jeep, and sped out, heading back to the dig site.

Back at the University:

Julu and Derek had spent two hours going over the scrolls from the dig site. Derek had help Julu to piece together in two hours, what would have taken months to uncrack. "Well, my ancient tongue is a little rusty, but so far the scrolls seem to speak of a Queen not of pure blood. Wharever that means." Julu said, shaking his head.

"Mesha~Noon. I'm guessing that was her name." Derek said.

"Yes, and she must have been very important, for her name appears all over the tomb, Within and without." Julu said. "One would think it was her tomb, not his."

"Well, we'll learn more once we figure this riddle out." Derek said, writing down more translations.

"Yes, and I'm glad you're here my friend. It would have taken me months to do what we've just done in a couple of hours." Julu said, patting Derek on the back. "Thank you." Derek nodded with a smile. They both returned to their task.

Elsewhere:

He had returned to his room to think. "It simply can not be, but yet I saw her with my own eyes." He spoke out, as if speaking to someone else. He started pacing. "I don't understand, unless...no I would have known if she were an immortal, like me. But what other reason can there be." He turned, and headed out again. He had to find out the truth, he had to find her.

Back at the dig site, Nick and Alex arrived right at dusk. They sat in the car for a moment, to gather their bearings.

"OK, what the hell just happened?" Alex asked still shaking. The whole time they were racing back to the site, she had kept looking over her shoulder, expecting whatever was in the dark corridor with them, to be right on their tails.

"I don't know, maybe it was just the wind." Nick said, though he knew better.

"Nick, it wasn't the wind." Alex said. "The wind doesn't call out names."

"Well, maybe we just thought we heard something. I mean it was dark and kind of spooky. We probably just let our imagination get to us."

"Ok, did you hear the name Mesha~Noon?" Alex asked, Nick gave her a look that told her he had. "Then we both heard it, so it wasn't our imagination."

"Fine, then what do you think it was? Huh, a ghost?" Alex just shrugged her shoulders. "Well, do you think we should tell Derek?"

"No!" Alex said quickly. "It probably was nothing. Besides I just can't deal with him right now." Alex said now hopping out of the jeep. Nick followed her lead.

"So, we don't tell anyone." Nick said.

"What would we say? The wind was speaking to us?" Alex said, walking towards the tent. "I'm suddenly beginning to wish Rachel had come, instead of me."

"Don't worry Al, I won't let anything happen to you." Nick smiled, brushing one of her ringlets from her face. "I promise." He gently placed a kiss on her cheek.

"Good, cause if something gets me, you're the first person I'm coming back for." Alex said with a smirk. Nick smiled throwing his arm around her shoulders. They walked to the chow tent, to get something to eat before turning in for the night.

Back at the University:

"This Mesha~Noon was an extrodinary woman. The things she got the king to do for her people, and at a time when women were considered to be a man's property." Derek said, reading the scrolls he and Julu had finally finished translating. "This king may have ruled the kingdom, but she obviously ruled him."

"Yes, she is a legend. The natives still refer to her as their queen. The slave queen." Julu said, scanning over some of the papers. "You know now that you've mentioned it, there seems to be an awful lot in reference to Mesha~Noon."

"I wonder what she looked like." Derek said. Julu looked at him.

"You know I think the crew at the site, recovered a bust of some woman. What would you bet it's of Mesha~Noon." Derek eye brightened up.

"Well, where is it now?"

"Here!" Julu said, waving his hand around the room. "If we can find it in all of this junk." They both started on the hunt. "One of the inscriptions stated that this king vowed never to rest until his beloved returned to him."

"Did she die with the king?" Derek asked still looking.

"No, She left him for another, it seems." Julu said, searching under some papers. "Legend has it that the king adored Mesha~Noon, but she detested him."

"Really."

"Yes, and one day she finally left him, and ran off with some slave. Or so they say."

"According to the scrolls, which was written by one of the king's slaves, Mesha~Noon did whatever she could for her people, the slaves. She was branded the king's whore by her own family, and her people. Then she became a Goddess because of the great things she did for the slaves. Mesha~Noon endured and did what she felt she had to, to keep her people save."

"Yes and what's your point?" Julu asked, looking at his friend curiously.

"After reading these scrolls, She just doesn't sound like a woman that would run out on her people. Even if it meant being the king's whore for the rest of her life."

"So, what do you think happened to her?"

"Well, we still have two more scrolls to decipher. Hopefully they will tell us."

"Ah-ha!" Julu said raising the bust. "Here she is and she was breathtakingly beautiful." Julu turned the sculpture to face Derek.

"My God!" Derek said with shocked, wild eyes.

At the dig site:

Nick and Alex walked back to their tents, which were side by side. They sat by the campfire, Nick had made earlier.

"Look at those stars, Nick." Alex said staring up at the sky. Nick smiled at her, then followed her gaze upward. "We don't have stars like that in San Francisco." Alex sighed, hugging herself.

"Sure we do, you just can't see them through all the smog. Are you cold?" Nick asked, noticing her shivering. Alex nodded her head. Nick moved closer to her, and enveloped her in his arms. Alex laid her head on his shoulder. "Better?"

"Much, thank you." Alex said, closing her eyes. "You know," Alex began, opening her eyes and looking at the fire. "We never did finish our conversation."

"Oh, and what conversation was that?" Nick asked, smiling broadly.

"You know which one." Alex said, lifting her head, and pinching him in the side.

"Awww!" Nick yelled out with a laugh. Then he pulled Alex to him again. Both sat face to face with their noses touching. "I think I was saying something like this." Nick whispered as he moved his mouth to hers. Gently he grazed his lips across hers. Wanting to feel the soft texture of her lips, and wanting to give her one last opportunity to retreat from his advances. Her stillness gave him the permission he seeked, and he covered her lips with his own. At first it was an awkward, unsure kiss. Both wanting to be certain this was what they both really wanted. That they both were willing to cross the threshold, from friendship to something more. Out to a point of no return. Soon the kiss, deepened. Each flick and twirl of their tongues causing more urges needing to be satisfied. With reluctance, they pulled apart. They stared into each other's eyes, then Alex smiled slyly.

"Maybe we should finish this discussion inside." Alex said.

"Your tent or mine?" Nick said.

"Whatever." They stood to their feet only to be knocked back down by a fierce wind. A wind that blew out the fires, and blew away the tents. Nick instinctively threw himself across Alex, shielding her. "Nick, What's happening?" Alex yelled out.

"Another sand storm!" Nick yelled back. "We need to find shelter!" Nick looked up, through the stings to his eye, he saw men running wildly. They were trying to escape the thrashing from the sand. "The tomb, we need to get to the tomb!"

_"Mesha~Noon!" _A voice called out. Both Nick and Alex jumped up to make a run for the tomb. Both ran blindly, but Nick was trained to see without using his eyes. He easily found his way to the tombs. In the entryway, they could hear that the crew had had the same idea. They could hear them further in the tomb. Alex stopped in her tracks. Nick stopped and stared at her.

"What's the problem?"

"I don't think we should go in there. Nick did you hear it, that name again?" Nick nodded. "I definitely think there's something out there, and I don't want to be trapped in here with whatever it is." Nick cupped her face in his hand, and stared intensely into her eyes.

"Alex whatever that thing is out there, we stand a better chance against it in here, where we can see what we're fighting. Besides, I won't let anything happen to you, I promised, remember?" With a smile, she nodded her head. They both began running down into the tomb. Neither of them looked back, or they would have seen the figure that emerged in the entryway.

"So, it is you, and you have returned to me." He said to his self. "I knew if I built you this great temple, you'd come back to me." He walked into the tomb in search of his queen.

Back at the University:

"I don't understand the urgency my friend." Julu said as he stood behind Derek, who was intensely reading through all the scrolls from the tomb. "So, your friend, Alex, resembles this woman, Mesha~Noon. Maybe it's just her fate to be here. Who knows, Alex could be a descendent."

"I have a feeling it's more than that. Alex just happens to be digging for a king, whose lover looks just like her. They could be twins, Julu. Sorry but I've never been one for trusting in fate."

"So, what exactly are you looking for?" Julu asked, picking up one of the scrolls. "I'll help you."

"There has to be something in here about what happened to Mesha~Noon and King Fearna. There's a reason for this, I'm sure of it. Once we find out what happened, we'll figure out what's going to happen."

"How can you be so sure something will happen?" Julu asked, still reading the scroll in his hand.

"It's just a feeling." Derek said before images from the past flooded his head. His grip on the scroll tightened, and they crumbled, like ashes onto the table. Julu let out a gasp, holding his hands to his head. The vision ended as abruptly as it had started, and Derek fell against the table. Julu's fright quickly moved from the destroyed scroll, to the well being of his old friend.

"Are you alright? What is it, what did you see?" Julu asked, supporting his friend as they walked to the couch.

"I saw Mesha~Noon and the king, fighting." Derek said, straining to remember all that he had seen. "He killed her. stabbed her."

"Killed her, but the way he speaks of her in his scrolls, and the tomb, It's obvious he loved her. Why in the world would he kill her."

"There was someone else." Derek said now focusing on fading images form his vision. "She was in love with some one else... MY GOD!" Derek said bolting up from the chair. "Nick!" Julu stared at him dumbfounded.

"Your other associate?"

"Yes, they were fighting because Mesha~Noon told King Fearna that she was in love with another man, and that man looked just like Nick."

"So it is fate that brought them here, together." Julu said.

"No. There was something about King Fearna. He was very powerful, and very old. He did not look to be more than thirty, but in his eyes I could see that he was much older."

"So, you think he's a vampire?" Julu said without skeptism. He knew about the work that Derek did, having gone on a couple of adventures with Derek him self. Even having to help Derek kill a werewolf, once.

"Maybe, or maybe he's an immortal." Derek said, arching a brow.

"Immortal?"

"They are beings that spend their lives fighting each other to the death. Whoever wins take the other's head and powers. That is the only way to kill them. We have an elite group within the Legacy, called the Watchers. They've been following and documenting immortals for centuries, making sure never to interfere, or make contact in any way."

"What's the point in being immortal if you never have peace in it." Julu said shaking his head.

"At any rate, whether King Fearna is a Vampire or an Immortal, he's still alive, and I believe he's still here in Cairo." Derek said, walking to the desk, and picking up the phone. "Which means Alex and Nick are in grave danger. Alex is in danger because Fearna may mistake her for his lost love, and Nick because he looks like the man who stole Fearna's ladylove. Nick and Alex don't even know about the danger they are in." Derek started dialing. "We have to get to them."

Back at the tomb:

Alex and Nick had made it to where the others were resting. Nick thought it would be best if he and Alex moved further into the tomb, hoping the darkness would conceal them. They hadn't gotten far when they came upon a form in front of them.

"Who's there?" Nick asked, silently cursing the fact that he had been careless, and left his gun in the jeep with his clothes.

_"Mesha~Noon." _The man before them spoke. Alex instantly tensed up, ready to bolt at Nick's instruction.

"We don't know who that is." Nick said. The man moved towards them. Nick released Alex's hand and took a fighting stance. The man totally disregarded Nick, and moved closer to Alex. Alex moved back. "Get away from her." Nick said, striking the man in the face. For the first time Fearna took note of him. He stared at Nick, curiously at first, then with a rage that both Nick and Alex noticed.

"Awww!" Fearna roared. Lifting Nick from the ground and throwing him against a far wall. "You!"

"NO!" Alex cried out, running to Nick's aid. "Nick are you OK?" she asked kneeling beside him. Nick was semi-conscious.

"Even after nearly five thousand years, he is still your choice. Even after I've built this magnificent temple in honor of you. You repay my kindness and my love, still with betrayal." Fearna said his voice booming in rage. He reached for Alex, who he yanked up like a rag doll. Nick could only watch with glazed eyes, not quite recovered from the blow to the head, he had received. Nick tried to get to his feet, to save Alex, but fell back down, dizzy. Tears flowed from Alex eyes. Tears for her self and for Nick, feeling that this man or creature was going to kill them. Fearna saw the look of fear in Alex's eye. The same look his love had had just before she drew her last breath. "I shall not harm you. I can not." He said releasing her to crumble beside Nick. "I spent the last eons, regretting ever harming you, my Queen. I will do things differently now." Fearna lifted Alex again, and held her hand. "I will show you how it can be my love. I will make you fall in love with me all over again. Make you forget him." Fearna said, glaring down at Nick. Nick began to choke and gasp for air. Alex wanted to run to him, but Fearna held her to him. Alex looked from Nick to Fearna and realized that it was Fearna who was choking Nick. Somehow, with a thought Fearna was squeezing the life out of Nick.

"No! Please stop it you're killing him." Alex pleaded through nearly blinding tears. "Oh God please don't kill him. You would be killing me too." At her words, Fearna released his hold of Nick. He could see that if he killed this man, his enemy, his beloved would hate him, probably forever.

"Then come away with me, let me show you just how good it can be." Fearna said, kissing Alex's hand.

"I'll go with you, and I'll do whatever you say, just please don't hurt him. Please." Alex sobbed. With a smile and nod of his head, Fearna began to lead Alex away.

"No, Alex." Nick said in nearly a whisper, trying again to get to his feet. "You stay the hell away from her you son-of-a-bitch!" Fearna looked up at the archway separating he and Alex, from Nick. With a thought the ceiling caved in, sealing the entryway. Leaving Nick on one side of the rubble, and Alex and Fearna on the other side.

"No." Alex said in a whimper, knowing that there was now no way for Nick to follow her.

"No! Alex !" Nick yelled as he stood to his feet. "Alex, I will come for you! I will find you." Nick said as he began fruitlessly pulling away stones, concealing the entryway between him and Alex. "I won't leave you and I won't lose you!" At the sound of falling stones and Nick's yells, members from the crew appeared behind him. Nick turned to them. "We have to move these stone. Alex is trapped on the other side." They all stood there, looking confused. "Go call the Cairo house and get more help down here, Now!" At these words one of the men ran out on the task. Nick continued to dig then looked back to the ones still standing there. "Help me!" They all moved in to assist him.

On the other side of the stone wall:

Alex stood there, silently moaning to herself as she stared at the wall. "Soon you will forget him, my love." Fearna said to her as he pulled her away from the rubble. "Just look." He said, lifting his hand. "Look at the beautiful temple I had built in your honor. I made it to match your beauty, but I now see that it pales in comparisons." Alex stared ahead as if in a trance, being lead by Fearna.

"Why are you doing this." she asked in a near whisper. "I don't understand."

"We belong together, you and I." Fearna said, stopping and holding both of Alex hands to his heart.

"But I don't even know who you are." Alex said, tears still streaming down her face.

"Mesha." He said, lovingly stroking her cheek.

"My name is not Mesha, It's Alex."

"Ah! Has he corrupted you so much that you don't even know who you are?" Fearna said, throwing his hands in the air.

"No, I know who I am. My name is Alex Moreau. Not Mesha~Noon." Alex said with pleading eyes.

"No?" Fearna said, turning to her. "If you are not Mesha~Noon, then her body will still be here, deep within the tomb. Exactly where I left her, after performing the resurrection ritual. Yes?" Fearna said, walking away. Alex just stood watching him. Fearna came back to her and grabbed her hand.

"Well, come. Let us see if you are whom you calm to be." Fearna lead Alex away, deep down into the tomb. He grabbeed one of the lit torches from the wall.

Elsewhere within the tomb:

Derek and Julu arrived to find Nick and several of the crewmen still removing the stones.

"My God what happened here?" Derek asked. Nick turned to see his precept.

"Alex is trapped on the other side. He took her." Nick said, frantically throwing aside stones.

"Fearna?" Derek said, mainly to his self. "We are too late."

"What are you talking about Derek?" Nick asked, stopping in his task to look up at Derek.

"This is my friend, Julu, I think I've mentioned him to you before. Julu, this is Nick Boyle." Julu extended his hand, Nick just gave him a seconds glance, then looked back at Derek.

"What did you mean when you said we were too late?" Derek took a deep breath, then when into explaining to Nick all that he and Julu had found. After Derek had finished the tale, Nick was the first to speak.

"So, this guy is an immortal and he thinks Alex is his dead girlfriend?" Nick repeated.

"It would appear so." Julu said.

"Then get me a sword, cause I'm going after them." Suddenly the men behind them started yelling that they had an opening. It was big enough for a body to fit through it. "Good." Nick said, then he reached at one of the crewmen, and took the sword from his waist. "I'll be needing this, thanks." With that he quickly turned and headed for the hole.

"Wait Nick, you can't just go charging after them. Do you even have a game plan?" Derek asked with concern.

"Yeah go in there, kick some ancient Egyptian ass, and get Alex out." Nick said as he started burrowing his way through the hole. Some of the rocks began to crumble. "This isn't sturdy. You're going have to get these stones removed. Alex and I may have to leave in a hurry. I sent for backup from the Cairo house, but they haven't arrived yet." Nick had crawled through the hole completely. He popped his head back through. "Hey Derek, you wouldn't happen to be packing by any chance." With a smile, Derek pulled out his gun, and handed it to Nick.

"Alway be prepared, you taught me that." Derek said, smiling. "Nick, I expect to see you and Alex both back here in one piece."

"Count on it." With that Nick disappeared completely. Derek pulled out his cell phone to place a personal call to the Cairo house.

At the Cairo house:

"Sire, it is Derek Ranye. The precept from the San Francisco house." Malik said as he entered the room.

"Derek Ranye, calling all the way from the states?" Mohammed said, reaching for the phone.

"No sire, he's calling from here in Cairo. At the dig site to be precise." Mohammed pulled his hand back.

"Here? By the Gods, what is he doing here?"

"Apparently the Legacy members that arrived from the states are friends of his, and he accompanied them here."

"Well, what does he want?" Mohammed asked, nervously as he stood from his desk, and walked to look out the window.

"There seems to have been an accident at the dig site. A wall collasped, trapping someone. They need us to send out equipment to help with the rescue."

"Is that all." Mohammed said, relieved. "Well, send whatever they need."

"No sire there is more. The scout you had me send in has reported back. He says that some of the crew men speak of the undead coming and taking a woman. One of the crew members from the states. Her name is Alexandra Moreau. They said that the creature took her."

"So it is true what they said of King Fearna, the ever living. The oldest living immortal. He's at least a century older than Methos. Oh the things that he could tell us. We must find him first. This Miss Moreau must remind him of his beloved Mesha~Noon." Mohammed said, his back still to Malik. Suddenly he turned. "Malik, I need you to go supervise. It would be too suspicious if I went. It is imperative that we get Fearna here, at all costs. Now go and report to me any news on the matter." Malik turned to leave, heading out on his mission.

Deep with in the tomb:

Fearna still lead Alex further down into the tomb. Alex's feet and legs ached, which caused her to stumble. Fearna seeing her pain, quickly and gently, scooped her up into his arms, carrying her. Alex didn't resist, welcoming the break from walking. She took note of the ease at which he toted her. His body illuminated power and strength She found herself thinking that in another lifetime, she could have easily fallen for this man. As if reading her mind, Fearna looked down into her face and smiled. "My God, this man is beautiful." Alex said to her self. Then she remembered that he was also her kidnapper. Suddenly they stopped. Fearna slowly placed Alex's feet onto the ground, not letting her to far, he enveloped her in his arms. He leaned down and lovingly swallowed Alex's mouth with his own. Alex didn't fight the advances, but returned the gesture. For a moment they both were locked in time. Fearna slowly pulled away, leaving apart of Alex's body and soul in agony.

"I have wanted to do that for over five thousand years." Fearna said with a smile, then he walked past her to a door, which he pushed open. Out came an ancient stench of death. Alex quickly covered her mouth and nose, before the smell overwhelmed her. Fearna seemed to be unaffected by it. "Come." He said, walking in first. Alex hesitantly followed. Fearna walked around the room, lighting the torches that aligned the walls. Soon, the room was completely lit. Fearna focused his attention to the table in the middle of the room, as Alex stood close to the doorway. "Ahhhh!" Fearna cried out, falling to his knees. "It can not be. She is still here." At his words, Alex turned to the table, seeing the outline of a form, draped with a cloth. Fearna crawled to the table. He laid his head across the form and began to wail in a tongue Alex couldn't understand. Alex moved to him slowly.

"Is this Mesha~Noon?" Alex said in a near whisper.

"Yes, I thought I had revived her, just as I was revived after my death. I must have done something wrong."

"So you're an immortal?" Alex whispered, remembering having heard stories about such beings. "How did she die?"

"I put a dagger through her heart, after she married one of my guards." Fearna said, standing to his feet. Alex was half shocked and half afraid.

"Alex!" A voice called out in the distance. Alex turned, recognizing that it was Nick's voice.

"You should go now. Leave us. This is where I belong."

"But you can't die. You'll be in here forever."

"As it should be." Fearna said now laying beside his beloved on the table. With the wave of his hand, rocks began dropping from the ceiling. Alex realized that he was bringing down the ceiling, and the entire tomb. "Leave, NOW!" Alex slowly took steps back, and nearly bumped into Nick, who came running into the room with his gun drawn. Alex turned to him, grabbing his arms.

"We have to go. He's collapsing the tomb." Needing no further explanation, Nick grabbed Alex's hand and they ran from the room, which completely caved in. They dodged boulders as they ran down the corridor, back up to the surface of the tomb. When they got to the blocked entryway, they saw that the crew had removed most on the stones making the entrance bigger. They ran through, and stopped where Derek and Julu stood, with another man. The entire structure shook, as rocks fell from the ceiling and walls. Scared, the crewmen ran to escape the tomb.

"What the hell is going on?" Malik asked. He had arrived moments before.

"He's burying himself down there with the body of Mesha~Noon." Alex said, almost screaming over the rumbling of the falling rocks.

"We gotta get the hell out of here. Now!" Nick said, pulling Alex to the exit. Derek, Julu, and Malik followed suit. They cleared the exit just before the entrance caved in. Everyone stood, watching as the tomb collapsed in on its self.

Hours later:

Derek had said his farewells to his old friend, with the promise that he would return soon. He, Nick, and Alex had packed up their equipment and gear, and boarded the plane back to San Francisco. The trip home had been quiet, for Nick and Alex had slept the whole way. They sat in the back of the plane, wrapped in each other's arms, with Alex resting her head on Nick's shoulder. Derek sat watching them. With a sigh, he resolved that Nick and Alex had grown inseparable. He wasn't sure when it had occurred, After Julia's death, healing from their encounter with the vampires, or if it had happened recently. One thing was clear, they had become more than just friends. Derek couldn't help thinking of what could have been, if he hadn't turned Alex away. Letting his head, again, rule over his heart. "What could have been" He thought, knowing that he would never know.

At the Cairo house:

Malik entered the office, nervously. "Sire."

"You have news? Good I hope." Mohammed asked, standing at his favorite spot, looking out the window.

"I'm afraid not, Sire." Mohammed turned and glared at his associate. Malik swallowed back his fear and continued. "The tomb collapsed with Fearna buried beneath the rumble. Apparently a suicide attempt." Suddenly the anger disappeared from Mohammed's eyes, and he smiled.

"Hire another crew. Fearna's an immortal, so he's still down there. No matter how long it takes, we'll dig him up."

"But sire, none of the locals will..."

"Then find some that will, but do it quickly."

Yes sire." With a bow Malik left the room to follow orders. Mohammed stood, smiling out the window. Patience was one of his strong suits, and no matted how long it took, he would realize his dream.

Back at the Legacy house:

Derek had called ahead to let Rachel know of their arrival. He quickly relieved her fears. A few hours after Alex and Nick had checked in, Rachel lost the link with them. She sent the rest of the evening and most of the following day, worried. Derek filled her in on all that had happened. Once they pulled into the driveway, and opened the door, Nick and Alex were ambushed by Kat.

"Presents, where are the presents?" Kat asked as she walked around them, patting them down.

"Oh sorry sweetie, we forgot." Alex said still very sleepy.

"Yeah, honey, maybe next trip." Nick said, patting Kat on the head, which was something she really hated done. Nick and Alex, with arms wrapped around each other, headed for the stairs.

"Well, did you get to see a mummy." Kat called after them.

"Yes we did, and I hope I never see another for as long as I live." Alex said as she and Nick walked up the stairs.

"Amen" Nick added.

**Fin  
**


	6. Episode 6: Eye of the Hurricane

**Episode 6: Eye of the Hurricane by ThePTLLovers**

Epilogue-Ireland

Philip had returned to his homeland to do some soul searching. He needed a sabbatical from his church in Boston. Philip wasn't sure if he wanted to be a priest anymore not after the whole Reed Horton and Mordecai Church incident, which left many casualties in its wake. Two of whom were Legacy members…one a young woman.

He was hoping that by going to Ireland he would find peace, but there was such turmoil in his heart and soul. Philip spent that night and the night before tossing and turning, dreaming about Kristin Adams and his fiancée with whom he had broken the engagement off so he could join the Priesthood. He got up from the tussled bed and made it nice and neat. As he was putting on his white cable knit wool sweater and blue jeans, he thought to himself. "Am I cut out to be a Priest?  
The Catholic Church has as many secrets as the Legacy." In the distance, he heard church bells. "I don't feel like going to Mass or Confession today. I'd rather walk on the hillside to clear my head." Philip put on his camel wool coat and left the room.

As he walked to the hillside, a lone voice in the wind, asked him if he was happy with the choices he had made? Philip screamed at the top of his lungs.

"No, I am not happy with my choices. I want to feel the gentle touch of a woman. I want  
to kiss and be kissed, and I want to make love to a gorgeous lady."  
When he arrived at the hill, he sat down on the lush green grass. It was a lovely view from where he was with the ocean in the distance. It was a clear day with an azure blue sky. The north wind blew the sea to the shore to the hillside. The crisp early winter air felt good on his face. Philip stayed on the hill as night and the rain began to fall. When the raindrops became too big that's when he got up.

As he was walking back to the rustic inn, these lyrics played in his head, "I walk away from the fateful moonlight. For God's sake don't look back. Into the Crucifix night. The storm of the Cross. I live to love again. On my life. Oh I of the hurricane. I walk away with the wind and the rain into the eye of the hurricane." When Philip got back to his room, he took off his wet coat and shoes and then he sat down on the bed. He had come to a decision that he wanted to go back  
to the Legacy. That was his life's mission. He was ready to walk into the eye of the hurricane to face the evil forces, to stop them with the Crucifix, and Latin phrases. Philip knew that he had to call Derek Rayne.

**San Francisco Angel Island**

Nick walked into the kitchen to fix himself a protein shake. He liked having a healthy breakfast after his morning run. Derek was at the table reading the paper. "Hey Derek, you're up pretty early." The young man said as he was putting fresh fruit into the blender with the protein powder and milk.

Derek looked up from the paper and said, "Good morning, Nick. I'll never understand how you can drink that stuff. The phone woke me up…Philip called from Ireland. He wants to come back to the Legacy."

"What!" Nick said. He took a sip of his shake and made a face. "Boy, is this awful. Phil wants to come back?"

"Yes, Nick. He left the Priesthood. Philip decided that he's committed to our cause."

Nick sat down at the tan wooden table and said to the older man, "He left the Legacy twice. What makes you think that now is going to be any different?"

Derek said as he was getting up from the table, "It's a chance I'm willing to take." He left the room and headed for his office

Nick was staring into space thinking about all the things, which have gone down since the house burned to the ground…Derek almost being committed in London, he and Alex becoming close, almost loosing her to a ghost, and an immortal Pharaoh and now Phil wants to come back  
to the Legacy. He was shaking his head when Alex entered the room.

"Hey Nick, what are you up to?" She asked him as she was making herbal tea.

"Nothing much, Al. Guess who's coming back to the Legacy?" He said to her as he was getting up from the table. Alex stared at him perplexed. "Let me rephrase that, guess who's coming back to the Legacy again."

"Philip!" Alex said smiling. "I've missed him. When is he coming back?"

Nick shrugged his shoulders. "Beats me…Derek didn't say. I miss him too." He walked over to where Alex was standing and kissed her on the cheek and then said, " But we've heard this before, and I just hope he stays for good this time."

She put her arm around his shoulder. "Me too. He's one of my dearest friends, and I miss our talks."

"What? You've grown tired of my company already?" Nick said jokingly with a smile.

"No, it's not that. I love your company, but I need someone to talk to, about you." Alex said now walking to get a mug and pour herself some coffee. "And we both know that Rachel can't listen without over analyzing everything. Anyways, I'm happy that Philip's coming home, I hope working for the Legacy this time around won't conflict with his duties as a Priest."

"He left the Priesthood." Nick replied. He noticed that Alex looked shocked.

"What!" She exclaimed. "I thought he was committed to the Catholic Church."

"Me too. I couldn't believe what I was hearing when Derek told me earlier."

"Did he tell you why Philip was leaving the church?" She asked and Nick shook his head.

"Nope, but whatever it is, it must be bad."

**Downtown San Francisco 12:00 A. M.:**

Richard Blake was dreaming about his dead wife, Chrissie. In his dream, she said over and over, "You killed me and our baby. Why did you have to shoot me in the face? Couldn't you have given the men what they wanted?" He woke up in a cold sweat and reached over to turn on the light on the mahogany night table. Richard picked up his pack of cigarettes and took one out and lit up. He was hoping it would calm his nerves…dreaming about Chrissie freaked him out. He was starting to relax when he saw her hovering above the bed, which he now shared with his new wife, Jackie. Chrissie was then on top of him, and she took out his cigarette from his mouth and started burning him with it. "You hurt me. Now it's my turn to hurt you. When you die, we can be together forever." She said in an evil tone and then threw a fireball at him and then Chrissie disappeared into thin air.

In her sleep, Jackie smelled smoke and it woke her from her slumber. She was horrified when she saw her husband on fire. Jackie took the extra blanket, which she slept with and smacked her husband with it to extinguish the fire. After that, she called an ambulance and Richard was taken to San Francisco General.

**Rachel's House 2:00 A. M**

Rachel was awoken by the telephone. "Rachel Corrigan." She answered sleepily. She thought that it might be Derek who was known to call at weird hours.

The voice at the other end said, "Dr. Corrigan, sorry to bother you so late, but a patient of yours was admitted to San Francisco General in a bad state an hour ago."

"I'll be there with in the hour." She said and then hung up the phone. She quickly got dressed, and after that, she dialed Kat's usual babysitter Emily's number. Then Rachel went into Kat's room and kissed her on the forehead. She proceeded down the stairs to wait for Emily. Five  
minutes later, the doorbell rang, and she opened the door. "Emily, I'm sorry for having you come over so early in the morning…emergency with one of my patients." Rachel said as she slide her blond hair behind her ears.

Emily took off her brown wool coat. "It's okay, Rachel. I was up working on my term paper." Rachel went to the closet and took out her black coat and put it on. She headed out the door and got into her black Sedan and drove to the hospital.

**Ireland Airport:**

"Flight 356 for San Francisco is now boarding." Came over the loud speaker. Philip was anxious about returning to the San Francisco Legacy House. He knew that Derek and Alex would be happy to see him, but he wasn't sure about Nick. When he had told Nick about his decision  
to go to Rome, the ex Navy SEAL wasn't pleased that he was leaving the Legacy again. Philip was hoping that the two of them could be close friends again. He knew that it would take time for things to be the way they were. He boarded the plane and looked out the window for a while before he fell asleep.

**San Francisco General:**

Jackie was pacing in the hallway of the hospital. The screams coming from Trauma Room 1 were getting to her. "It was Chrissie who burned me. She was on top of me and took out my cigarette, then sh...she started burning my body with it. Then a huge fire ball came my way." Richard yelled over and over to the doctor and nurses in the room. He started to thrash around from the pain and from seeing his dead wife in the room. "She's here!" He shouted out. "Why won't you leave me alone?" He shouted to the vision hovering above him.

"Calm down, Mr. Blake. There's no one in the room." Dr. Segal said in a calm and reassuring voice. Richard was still agitated. Dr. Segal looked at the young, slender, redheaded nurse and said, "Get security in here he needs to be restrained."

"Yes, she's in the room, and she's saying, "Why did you kill me and the baby?" over and over." He said hysterically. "Why doesn't anyone believe me?" He asked. Two beefy looking security guards came into the room and restrained Richard. "No! Please don't do this to me! I'm  
in so much pain." Richard screamed and tears were running down his cheeks. "She going to kill me!"

Rachel heard his screams as she was approaching the room, and she ran into the room. "What's going on here?!" She demanded of the young doctor.

"Who are you?" Dr. Segal asked her. He didn't like any one barging into the room and questioning his actions.

"Sorry for not introducing myself. I'm Dr. Rachel Corrigan. This man is a patient of mine." She said looking into the doctor's blue eyes.

"Dr. Corrigan, this man was hysterical and agitated. The only way for treatment to be administered was to restrain him. The injuries to his body suggest that it was a possible suicide attempt." The young doctor stated.

Richard over heard that and shouted, "I didn't try to kill myself. It was Chrissie who burned me. How many times to I have to tell you that?!" Rachel walked over to Richard and tried to calm him down.

She said in a soothing voice, "It's okay, Richard. Try and calm down now."

"You believe me don't you Dr. Corrigan, that I didn't try and off myself?" He queried in a calmer tone.

"Why don't you get some rest? We'll talk about this later, ok? I'll be outside when you wake up." Rachel told him. She left the room to find out what had happened from Jackie.

**San Francisco-Angel Island later that day**

Alex and Nick were in the library talking when Philip entered the room. "Hi, guys." Philip said to his friends with a big smile on his face.

"Philip!" Alex exclaimed as she rushed to embraced her friend, "It's so good to see you Philip.  
It's been too long."

"It's good to see you too, Alex." Philip said, clinging to his friend. He reluctantly released her and looked to Nick. He expected a cold reception from Nick. "Hello Nick."

Nick put his arm around Philip's shoulder. "Hey Phil, it's good to have you back.

"It is?" Philip repeated in shock.

"We hope it's for good this time" Nick continued.

"You do?" Philip asked now watching Nick suspiciously. Nick just smiled. "What in the devil's gotten in to you?"

"Nothing really, I've just recently realized that life's too short to hold grudges, and hide feelings." Nick then shot a wink at Alex, who started blushing. "Well, I'd better go finish that weapons report, for Derek." Nick said, patting Philip on the back then walked to the exit. Nick turned back to Philip."Hey Phil, if you're not too tired from your trip, how `bout you and me meet down at the bar, in say an hour, and drink our Irish Ale?"

"Sounds like a plan, Nick. That will give me enough time to unpack ad freshen up a bit." Philip replied with a smile, which Nick returned before heading out. Philip was happy that his friend was civil towards him. he turned his attention back to Alex. "OK who's that, and what have you done with our Nick." Alex laughed as did Philip. "By the way where is Derek?"

"He had a lunch date with Melinda, the new Precept from Boston House." Alex stated. "I guess the two of them hit it off because he said that he would be back by 1:30 and it's nearly 5:00 now. Come on I'll help you unpack, and we can catch up." Alex said, linking her arm around his, while leading him out the doorway.

"So, the Legacy found a new Precept…thought it would take a while to find some one with credentials like Jane Witherspoon's." Philip stated. It was awful what happened to her and Kristin. Kristen died in his arms; she had intercepted the sword, which was meant for him.  
He had felt guilty about it ever since. His demeanor changed. "You know what I'm really tired…think I'm just going to go take a nap. We can unpack later, and please tell Nick I'll take a rain check on the drinks." Philip said. He kissed his friend again then left the room.

Alex stood, staring after him. " There's something not right with him. I can feel it. When I mentioned Boston, Phil turned pale. I wonder if he still having nightmares about what happened in Boston." She thought to herself

**In the control room:**

As Nick entered, Eve greeted him, "Well hello, Nick. How are you?"

"Fine, Eve and you."

"Fine." Nick sat down at the computer terminal and pulled up the report. There wasn't much left to do, except proofread it , which Nick then decided he could do later. He clicked on to the games icon. Suddenly the phone rang and Nick put it on speaker. "Yup." He said.

"Nick, do you think you and Derek can meet me at San Francisco General? Something to do with one of my patients. I think it's a case for the Legacy." Rachel said.

"I can meet you there with in the hour. Derek hasn't come back from his lunch date with Melinda yet." He replied.

"Ok, thanks see you when you get here." She said and hung up the phone.

Nick logged off as Alex entered the room. "Were you doing your homework, or playing games, Nickyboy?" She asked him with an enormous smile on her face.

"I was working, until Rachel called." He lied as he rose from the chair, but he could tell by the way she arched her brows at him that she knew he truth. "Ok, how did ya know that I was going to play games?" He asked her.

"It wasn't too hard to figure it out since I had already proofread your report earlier, and we don't have any new cases." She replied as she punched him in the arm. "So what did Rachel want?"

"She wanted Derek and me to met her at San Francisco General something about one of her patients. She thinks it might be a case for the Legacy." He replied as he was walking through the hologram wall and Alex followed right behind him.

"Since Derek isn't back, mind if I came along?" She asked as she went to the closet to take out their coats.

"Sorry, Al. I'm going alone." He noticed that she looked sad by those words. "Alex, I think it would be best that you stay here cause I think Phil might need a friend that he can talk to. The two of you are tight."

"I guess your right. It's just that you Derek seems to always keep me here at the house so he could protect me. I don't want you to treat me the same way, Nick You know now that we're..."

"Closer." Nick finished, knowing that she wasn't quite ready to discuss their new found relationship.

"Yeah." She said to him as she walked him to the front door.

"I wouldn't dream of doing that to you, Al. I would have loved it if you came along with me, but Phil's in a bad way, I can see it in his eyes." Nick said to her. He then kissed her softly on the lips, which he did a lot when no one else was around. "See ya later." He then left the house, got into his red Mustang, and sped off to the hospital.

**San Francisco General:**

"Hi, Nick. One of my patients was admitted this morning with burns covering most of his body…cigarette marks were on his forearms. He claims that his dead wife burned him with a cigarette, but Dr. Segal thinks he tried to kill himself." She stated as she paced a bit while they stood in the waiting area.

"Do you think that the guy's dead wife did it to him?" He asked looking at the floor. "Or is it possible he tried to off himself." Nick now looked at Rachel.

"I don't think he tried to commit suicide. He could have burned himself with a cigarette, but his whole body was in flames, his wife woke up and found him on fire." Rachel replied to her younger colleague as they were walked towards Richard's room.

Nick had a huge grin on his face as he said, "Maybe it was natural combustion I saw it on Unsolved Mysteries once. Are you sure this guy didn't fall asleep while he was smoking its been known to happen."

"He didn't fall asleep while he was sleeping. Wasn't Robert Stack a member of the Legacy?" Rachel said outside Richard's room.

"Yup. He left the organization in the early 80's…couldn't hack it anymore. The long hours and the physical nature of the work got to him." Nick replied. Rachel opened the door to Richard's room.

"Richard, if you're up to it, would you tell my colleague, Nick Boyle what happened to you." She said to her patient.

He took a deep breath before he started. "I had a dream about Chrissie. She said that I killed her and our baby…didn't even know that she was pregnant. She asked me, why did I shoot her in the face and why didn't I give the men what they wanted? I didn't understand what she meant and I was shook up by the dream so I put on the light and reached for my pack of cigarettes took one out and lit up. The next thing I knew, she was hovering above my bed. Then she was on top of me took out my cig and burnt me with it." Richard began to cry, and Rachel comforted him.

"It's ok, Richard. You're safe now. Try and get some rest. I'll come back later." Rachel told him.

"Where's Jackie? I'd like to see her." He said to her.

Rachel replied, "She's talking to Dr. Segal, and she'll be right up shortly. Get some rest." She said as she and Nick left the room. "Do you still think that he fell asleep smoking?" She asked Nick.

"I honestly don't know Rach. I'd like to speak to Jackie once she's finished visiting her husband." He then looked at his watch and noticed that it was 7:30. "Man, I'm starving…let's get something to eat." Nick said to Rachel. She nodded, and they both headed for the cafeteria.

**San Francisco-Angel Island**

Alex was in the kitchen eating her dinner when Philip came into the room. "What are ya eatin'?" He asked Alex.

"Hi, Philip. How was your nap? You don't look too well rested. Oh, This?" Alex said, finally answering the question. It's left over Chinese food…want some?" He walked over to the cabinets and took out a white mug and some herbal tea. Next, he went to the utensil draw and took out a spoon and a fork. After the tea was done, he went to the table and sat down next to Alex. Philip dug into the white rice container first.

"I haven't been sleepin' well I keep having these awful dreams." The Irishman stated.

Alex looked at her friend and touched his hand as she asked, "What are your dreams about if you don't mind me asking?"

"You know I don't mind. You're the only one I'd tell them to." Philip said with a smile, which Alex returned. "The dreams have been about Boston, and Kristin dyin' in my arms. She got in the way to save me. God she was so young…in her early twenties." He looked at Alex sadly.  
She put her arms around his shoulders and then kissed him on the cheek.

"It was a tragedy, but it wasn't your fault, what happened in Boston. It was Horton and Church's fault. You can't beat your self up anymore, Philip." He nodded his head. Philip then dug into the shrimp and lobster sauce container. Derek entered the kitchen, and he was happy to see Philip.

"Hello, Philip. How was your trip?"

"Hi, Derek. It was good…not too much turbulence." The young man replied as he got up from the table.

Derek focused his attention to Alex. "Alex, where's Nick?"

"He went to the hospital. Rachel called something about one of her patients, and she thought that it was a case for the Legacy." Alex said to him. She noticed that his eyes had a sparkle to them. Alex figured that he and Melinda must have hit it off. "You're back pretty late." Derek just smiled at her… he knew what she meant. At that moment Rachel and Nick entered the room. Rachel gave Philip a big hug.

"Welcome back, Philip, Nick told me you were coming back to the Legacy full-time." She said to him as she made herself a cup of coffee. She was exhausted from the day's events, she'd been at the hospital since three in the morning, and it was now nine o'clock. Rachel sat down at the table and handed Derek and the others pictures of Richard's burned body. "A patient of mine, Richard Blake, was admitted to the hospital early this morning. He told the ER doctor that he didn't  
burn himself with a cigarette butt, that his dead wife was the one who did it." Rachel yawned.

"The doctor didn't buy it and thought he was nuts I presume." Derek said to her. He noticed how tired she looked. "Why don't you go home, Rachel?" He suggested. She nodded her head no.

"I'll be fine, Derek, and Kat is staying over at her friend, Casey's house tonight so no need for me to go home." Rachel said and then yawned again. "But if you'll excuse me, I think I will go lie down."

Derek looked at her and said, "Go up to bed. That's an order. Nick can fill us in on what happened." She got up from the table and left the room headed up the stairs to her room. She lied down on the bed and fell asleep with her clothes on.

After Rachel had left the room, Nick and the others headed for the control room. Alex and Nick sat at the computer terminal. Philip stood by the projector screen, and Derek sat in his chair. "So what's the deal, Nick?" The precept asked the young man.

"Well, Richard said that he had a nightmare woke up reached for a cigarette and saw his dead wife, Chrissie floating above him. She was then on top of him, took the cigarette from his mouth, and burned him. Then she threw a fireball at him. Later, at the hospital he said he saw her again and she 's asking him `Why did you kill me and our baby?' over and over." Nick replied.

Philip ran his fingers through his hair as he said, "Sounds like an angry spirit to me. Did he kill his wife?"

Alex typed the name Richard Blake and the information appeared on the screen. "Well, it seems that there was an attempted robbery in his jewelry store in Fresno, and he took out his gun from behind the counter shot at the man who had grabbed Chrissie, but missed him and hit is wife in the face."

"I recall reading about this now, there was speculation that he was involved. That he and his wife weren't getting along, and that he was cheating on her." Nick said. "Didn't her parents sue him for wrongful death?"

Alex was still typing away and an article about the botched robbery attempt came up on the screen. "The men who tried to rob the store came from the Middle East, and they had been into the store several times before the shooting took place. Two men demanded that Richard  
hand over to them all the diamonds in the store, but he refused to. The third man, 21-year-old Keedem, grabbed Richard's wife and held a knife to her throat, and that's when he took out the gun from his pant's pocket and shot at the man."

Nick shook his head. "Why didn't he just hand over the diamonds? A life is worth more than diamonds. She has every right to be angry with that guy." Nick stated. Derek rose from his high backed chair and walked over to the computer terminal.

"It was an unfortunate thing that happened to Chrissie Blake, but that doesn't justify her trying to kill her husband, Nick." Derek said to the young man.

"I didn't say that she had the right to try and kill him, but that she had the right to be angry at him. I'd be pissed if someone loved cared more about material things than my life." He replied back to the precept.

Philip laughed and said, "I see that some things haven't changed while I was gone the two of you still have the heated debates." Derek and Nick looked at one another and smiled.

"Yes Nick and I have our moments, but I think Rachel is better at debating issues with me." Derek joked with a smile. His cell phone rang and he answered it and then left the room quickly.

"Well, I'm tired I'll see you two in the morin'." Philip said and then went through the hologram wall headed up the stairs to his room. "Boy it's good to be back here. Glad to see that things are still the same around here." Philip thought to himself as he got into bed.

**The Next Morning:**

Alex and Nick were still in the control, trying to figure out why Chrissie was after her husband. "I'd be pissed too, Nick if someone did that to me. I wonder if she's angry because he didn't hand over the diamonds or if it's something else." Alex said as she looked from the terminal and turned to give Nick her full attention.

"Do you think he hired the men to rob the store, that he'd been planning to off her all along?" He asked her.

"It's a big possibility. Something doesn't sit right with me. I'd like to go to the store in Fresno to see if I can pick up some vibes." She said then rose from the terminal and was heading towards  
the wall.

Nick called out to her, "Hold it right there! We're not going anywhere with out telling Derek. Remember Jeffery Starr…I got my ear chewed off about that one. Something doesn't sit right with me either…let's do a thorough background check on him and if we find something, we'll tell  
Derek." Alex nodded her head and sat back down. Nick started to type away. "Richard was arrested in Texas for illegal possession of a firearm, for writing bad checks and fraud. He has ties with the mob and was accused of ordering a hit on a business partner's wife, but nothing came of any of it…Amazing"

Alex interrupted. "Not enough evidence. He sounds like a real prince. I think we should let Derek know what we found out about Richard." Derek and Philip entered the room at the same exact moment.

"What about Richard, Alex?" The precept asked looking at the screen.

"He has a rap sheet a mile long…was accused of ordering a hit on the wife of a business partner, and has ties with the mob. I think he was involved in his wife's shooting, I don't believe was an accident." She replied, and then she looked to Philip. "Morning Philip how was you first night back in your old bed, did you sleep well?"

"I couldn't sleep actually, jet lag I think." Alex smiled at him sadly, knowing it was because he  
had had another nightmare. "So, it seems this guy is pretty dirty." Philip said, wanting to change the subject.

"Yes, could be why Chrissie wanted to kill him…to get revenge on him." Derek said then stared off into space for a while. He saw Chrissie at the hospital burning Richard again. "I believe Chrissie will try to burn Richard soon. C'mon, Nick, you, Philip, and I should go to the  
hospital before it's too late." The three of them left the control room and were heading out the door when Rachel appeared.

"Hey guys, where are you off to sp early?" She asked looking at them.

"To the hospital to have a little chat with Richard there's a lot he has been keeping from people." Derek replied. He noticed that Rachel had that 'no you don't' look on her face. "Rachel, his life is in danger, I've just had a vision of Chrissie burning him again."

"Ok, but I coming with you guys to make sure you don't upset him." Rachel told them mainly Derek.

On the way to the hospital, Derek told Rachel what they had learned about Richard.

Rachel said, "He was accused of putting a contract out on a business partner's wife, and you think because of that he was some way involved in the robbery? He was broken up over what had happened to Chrissie, Derek. That's why he's been coming to see me."

"Are you sure it was grief and not guilt, Rachel." Derek said as he parked the black Range Rover. They got out and went inside the hospital. Once inside they headed for Richard's room, which was on the third floor. They all walked to and got inside the elevator, and went up to the third floor. Once they reached the third floor they heard loud screams coming from the end of the hallway and ran there. When Rachel and the others arrived there, Chrissie was in the process of hurting Richard. "Please, Chrissie don't hurt me. I didn't know you were pregnant. I didn't mean to shoot you in the face."

She laughed and said, "You have to pay for what you did to me and to our baby. You knew what you were doing." Chrissie was about to throw another fireball Richard's way when she heard a voice call out in Latin prayer and she turned to Philip. "Your prayers won't save him."

"Stop this. Killing him is not the way to achieve peace or revenge. Knowing that for the rest of his life, he'll have to carry his guilt with him, should be all the revenge you need." Philip said to her.

Chrissie looked at Philip and laughed in his face. "Killing him is the only revenge that I need and want."

Richard looked at Chrissie and said, "I was stupid for not giving the men the diamonds. I was saving them to give to you for our tenth wedding anniversary. When I saw the knife at your throat, I panicked and reached for my gun. I didn't want that ass hole to kill you, I didn't want to loose you. I know that I've done some terrible things in my life, and I've paid for them by losing you. I had changed Chrisse, tuned my whole life around, because of you. I love you, and I'm sorry for shooting you. Please forgive me." Tears were running down his cheeks as well as hers.

"I love you too Rick." She moved to Richard's side. "And I forgive you." She leaned in a kissed her husband.

Philip finished the prayer then said, "Chrissie, it's time for you to rest in peace." A white light surrounded her. "And may your soul find it's way home." She smiled at Philip, then turned back to Richard.

"I love you, Richard. And we'll be here, waiting for you my love." At that moment a young child appeared at her side. Richard knew it was their unborn child, and his tears started flowing harder as they both faded away. Rachel walked to him, and embraced him in her arms.

**A week later, Angel Island:**

Philip was in the library working on his journal. "It's been nearly a week without any nightmares. Somehow the guilt I'd been feeling over Kristin and my decision to leave the priesthood, have been laid to rest. I now know that I can do the Lord's work, without giving every thing I have and am. I know that God smiles upon me just the same, whether I'm a priest or not. I am still one of his children. I also know that he allows things to happen, like Kristin's death, for a reason. That reason was to protect the portal. I finally believe that I've found a place for myself. That the  
Legacy is where I belong. I have walked through the eye of the hurricane and have made it back safe and sound.

**Fin**


	7. Episode 7: Full Moon

**Episode 7: Full Moon by ThePTLLovers**

She ran, hearing the beast close behind her. She could almost feel the heat from his breath, on her neck. The beast could sense her fears, and almost taste the blood, pounding through her veins. She ran aimlessly in search of some shelter, or someone to help her. As she ran faster the limbs from the trees and bushes, whipped and slashed her body. Battered and bruised, she ran on. Her tears became almost blinding, so much so, that she ran into a low branch, which slapped her back onto the ground. She knew the beast was about to pounce. She could hear his growls. She closed her eyes and prayed. The beast crept in slowly, seeing his prey was down. Now ready to end the game, he leaped with a roar.

"Ahh!" Nick awoke from his nightmare, bolting upright screaming. He looked around the dark room. Memories from the dream came back to him. Nick jumped from the bed, grabbed his gun from the nightstand, and headed out of his room. He walked to the door just down the hall. Not bothering to knock, he slowly turned the knob and entered the room. He watched her as she lay sleeping soundly. He moved to her side, reaching down to stroke her face. "I won't let anything happen to you." He pulled the chair from the corner along side the bed, and sat in it. Placing his gun in his lap, he settled in for the night.

**In Sutro Heights park:**

The beast had waited for darkness to fall. That's when the hunt would begin. His eyes were constantly moving looking for prey. In the distance, he spotted three joggers. Two were females. The beast looked to the sky and noticed the first star, it was time to move. The half beast half man ran towards the joggers. It cut through the man, removing what it perceived to be a threat first. He then pounced on the women, slashing at their clothes, while hitting flesh with his sharp claws. They screamed, which drew the attention of other joggers in the area. The beast could hear others approach too many to fend off so he released the women and ran back to his den. The women were barely alive when the other joggers found them and dialed 911.

**The next morning:**

She squinted her eyes against the imposing sun, and cursed herself for not letting down the blinds. With a groan, she rolled over to find Nick asleep in a chair, beside her bed. She sat up, staring perplexedly at him, wondering why he was there in the chair. Nick began to rouse from his sleep. He slowly opened his eyes to find Alex watching him. "Morning, sleepy head." Alex said, who was propped up on her elbow, with her head resting on her hand.

Nick rubbed at his eyes. "Good morning." He said now stretching. "How did you sleep?"

"Fine." Alex answered with a smile. "And you?"

"I'm a little stiff." Nick said rubbing the back of his neck.

"Uh, Nick. Why are you sleeping in the chair?" Alex asked still smiling.

"Oh, sorry. I wasn't trying to intrude..." Nick quickly started explaining.

"I didn't say it bothered me, Nick. It wouldn't be the first time you've slept in here. It's just that you usually curl up with me." Alex said now sitting up, hugging her legs to her chest. "It looks like you were watching guard, or something." Alex said in a nervous giggle. She now spotted the gun in his lap. "OK Nick, what the hell is going on?" She threw her legs over the side of the bed, and stood, crossing her arms.

"I just had a bad dream. That's all." Nick said now standing, and stretching more.

"It was so bad that you felt you had to come in here, packing? So, this dream was about me?" Nick stared at her. He could see he had frightened her. He wished he had set his watch to wake him, before she awoke to find him there.

"Yeah."

"So, tell me about it." Alex said sitting back down on the edge of the bed with Nick standing over her.

"I feel stupid enough. It's nothing really." He said reaching down, and stroking her face.

"But Nick..." Alex began to protest only to have Nick cut her off.

"Al, do you trust me." He asked pulling her to his feet.

"Yes, with my life. You know that."

"Then trust when I say, that I would never let anyone or thing hurt you, ever." He pulled her to him in a tight embrace. "Now let's go downstairs and get some breakfast." Alex grabbed her robe from the foot of her bed, and allowed her self to be led out of the room.

**Down in the kitchen:**

Derek was reading over an article in the newspaper, when Nick and Alex walked in. "Good morning Derek." Nick said, being the first one to enter, Alex followed close behind.

"Good morning you two." Derek said still reading the paper.

"Is it good news or bad news that's got you glued to that paper." Alex asked as she stood by the counter pouring coffee for Nick and herself.

"That paper never has good news." Nick said taking the mug Alex was handing to him.

"And in this case it's definitely bad." Derek said lying the paper atop the table and looked up at them. "According to the paper, a couple of joggers were attacked last night by some wild animal."

"My God, they weren't killed were they?" Alex asked picking up the paper to read the article for herself.

"No, but they were badly injured. The strange thing is that they both swear it was a person in some kind of Bigfoot costume." Derek said. Nick took interest in that fact.

"And you think there's something to it?" Nick asked.

"I think it's something we should look into, yes." Derek said standing from the table. "I would like you and Alex to go to where the attack occurred, in the Sutro Heights park, and see if you can find any clues.  
Something the police may have missed."

"I can check things out myself, Alex doesn't have to come with me." Nick quickly spoke up, causing both Derek and Alex to look at him, curiously.

"And why can't I go?" Alex asked a little hurt that Nick seemed to be getting tired of her company.

"I just think we could work more efficiently if you stay here and pull up anything similar to this attack, that may have happened in the area in the past month." Nick said, seeing that he had hurt her feelings, unintentionally. "I'll go out there and run a sweep of the area." Derek arched his brow, and nodded his head.

"That seems to be more productive, do it, and I'd like a full report when you're done." Alex looked from Nick to Derek.

"Wait don't I get a say in this." She protested.

"No, it's not up for debate." Derek said then stood and left the room. Alex turned back to Nick, who could see the anger and rage in her eyes. He braced himself for the wrath.

"What the hell was that all about Nick?"

"I just think we could get it done faster, this way." Nick defended lying.

"Don't give me that bullshit, Nick. This has something to do with that dream you had. You know the one that had you watching guard over me all night, last night." Alex said. She paused and looked out the  
window for a second, and then with a more composed manner, she turned back to Nick. "Nick, please tell me what the dream was about. I mean it must have been frightening, that you feel you have to protect me, more so than usual." Nick didn't respond. It was no secret that he wasn't one to share his feelings, but in the past few months, Nick had found him self, opening up more to Alex, letting her see a side of him that no one else had ever been able to get to. Alex gently placed her hand on his, and slowly let her fingers trace across his skin. She stared at Nick, awaiting an answer, as Nick sat watching her fingers move. He looked up at her and knew that she wasn't going to let the matter drop. With a sigh he finally spoke.

"I dreamed that you were being chased by some wild animal. That it killed you." Nick said closing his eyes, trying to push back the memories that were trying to resurface.

"Nick it was just a dream." Alex said as she grabbed his hand, and placed it against her cheek. "I'm right here and I'm fine."

"It was so real, Al." Nick said rubbing Alex's cheek, and then tracing his thumb across her lips. "It was more than that, too. It gave me a gut feeling to be careful. Like it was an omen of some kind. You know me, I always listen to my gut."

"Well, if you think I'm in danger then I should stay with you at all times, right? Therefore, it makes sense for me to go with you to the park." Alex said, smiling slyly. Nick smile at the clever attempt.

"I can't protect you as well out in the open. I like the odds better here in the house. If there were to be an attack on you, this thing would have to get past all of the house's defenses, which is virtually impossible." Alex could see that Nick was serious, so she didn't push the issue further, but smiled and nodded her head. "I just don't want anything to happen to you." Nick leaned closer, pulling Alex's face to his, and softly kissed her lips. Reluctantly he pulled back. "I better go."

"OK, but aren't you going to get dressed first?" Alex said with a smile. "Don't get me wrong, I love the look. In fact I'd like to see more of it, but I think it's a little inappropriate for the park."

"Oh yeah." Nick said standing up. "Thanks for reminding me." He leaned down for another kiss. With a wink Nick headed out of the kitchen. Alex stood up preparing to go get dressed herself when Nick re-  
entered the room. He swiftly moved back to her, and enveloped her in his arms, and passionately kissed her. This kiss was more heated than the first ones, leaving Alex breathless at the end. "Later, if you still  
want to, I'll let you see more." Nick said in an almost whisper. Alex could only respond with a nod. Nick released her, and she plopped back down into the chair. Nick left the room again, and jogged up the  
stairs, smiling.

**Later, in the park:**

Nick had arrived on the scene, to find the area was still surrounded by police tape, which he went around. He started his sweep of the area, and it wasn't long before he came across what looked to be animal hair. The hair was embedded in a small pool of blood. Nick took a pair of tweezers and a small container from his pocket, and removed the hair, putting it into the container. "I'll take this back to the house, analyze it, and find out just what the hell you are." Nick said to his self, and then a voice call out to him.

"Hey fella, you shouldn't be messing around in there. It ain't safe." Nick turned to see an old man, with a shopping cart full of what looked like trash.

"What do you know about it?" Nick asked walking over to where the man stood.

"Sonny, I sleep here in this park. This is my home, and sometimes I see a lot of strange stuff, but last night." The man's gaze trailed off to where the incident had occurred. "Last night I saw something I hope I never see again. I told the police, but they just laughed. They probably thought I was an old crazy fool."

"Well, I'd like to hear about what you saw." Nick said, pulling some money from his pocket, and handing it to the man.

"It was something like Bigfoot. You know half man, half beast. Man it was quick, tearing into those people. I was surprised that they survived."

"Thanks." Nick said, patting the man's back as he passed, heading back to his Mustang.

"I didn't tell you all of it yet." The man called out, causing Nick to turn back around. "I think it was after the ladies. It just killed that fella with them out right. Then he went at those women, but their screaming brought others and scared the creature off. But before it ran off the thing starts sniffing the air, and then left. I figured it smelled something, or someone better. I hope you catch it. Those of us living out here, won't feel safe until you do." With that the man walked off, pushing his cart. Nick watched him for a second, then headed to his car, got in it, and drove off. He had to get the sample he had collected back to the house, and run a scan of it.

**Back at the house:**

Alex had changed and made her way back to the kitchen, for breakfast. She found Philip already there, eating. "Good morning Philip." She said with a board smile. Philip looked up and smiled back.

"Well, good morning to you, Alex." Philip said, then sipped on the mug of coffee he had. Alex moved to fix her self another cup, she then came back and sat at the table with Philip.

"Philip, can ask your advice about something?" Alex said then blew at the coffee.

"Of course you can, you know that." Philip said setting the coffee down and giving his friend his full attention. "What's wrong?"

"Oh nothing. It's just that," Alex thought for a moment, wanting to find the best way to phrase it. "Well, do you remember your first girlfriend? You know the first, first." Alex said, staring at  
him. With a smile Philip nodded his head. "When the time came for you and her to get more serious, how did you feel?"

"Alex, are you asking me to give you advice about sex? You aren't a virgin are you?" Philip asked, jokingly.

"No, I'm just a little out of practice. It's been awhile." Alex said.

"So, you and Nick are going to do the do?" Philip asked, leaning in closer.

"Do the do?" Alex repeated laughing.

"You know what I mean. Are you two thinking about making love?" Alex nodded her head.

"I mean I guess we are, like I said, it's been awhile, and I don't know if I remember the signs. I can tell you that there is some serious sexual tension. Nearly to the point of overload."

"But you're not sure if you're ready, or that that's what you want."

"Oh no. I definitely want it, and I'm pretty sure Nick does too." Alex said now sipping the coffee.

"So, what is the problem?"

"Guess I'm just thinking about that old song, "Will you sill love me tomorrow?" Will Nick? I mean will things change between us?"

"Alex, I think they already have. I've seen the way you two behave with each other. The way you look at one another, when you think no one's watching. It's obvious to everyone in the house."

"You mean everyone knows?" Alex asked, surprised.

"Even Kat." Philip said, smiling. Alex laughed.

"I just don't want either of us to regret it. What if it doesn't work out, and we end up hating each other?" Alex asked the question that had been weighing on her mind most of the morning.

"Alex, I really don't think that will happen."

"You know Nick, and that he can hold a grudge, especially if he thinks you've wronged him in some way."

"So, don't wrong him." Philip said with a chuckle. At that moment, Nick walked into the room.

"Don't wrong who?" Nick said, taking the seat beside Alex, and across from Philip.

"Oh no one. So, did you find anything interesting?" Alex asked, hoping to shift the focus. Nick pulled the container from his pocket and handed it to Alex.

"Yep. I found this hair in some blood on the ground." Nick said picking up Alex's cup of coffee and drinking from it.

"It looks like some kind of animal's fur." Alex said looking at it closely.

"I'm going to do a scan on it, and thought you'd like to help." He said to Alex, who nodded.

"Yeah, let's go." They both stood, and headed out. Alex turned back and walked over, and kissed Philip on the cheek. "Thank you for the talk." She whispered. Philip gave her a wink. Nick stood in the doorway waiting, and watching in curiosity. They walked towards the control room.

"What was that all about?" Nick finally asked.

"Huh? Oh nothing." Alex said flicking a stray curl behind her ear.

"It didn't look like nothing." Nick continued as they walked through the hologram.

"Why Nick are you jealous?" Alex asked with a sly smile.

"Should I be? Phil's not a priest anymore." Nick returned. Alex just shrugged her shoulders, smiling and taking a seat at one of the terminals. Nick placed the container on the scanner, and then took the seat next to her. They scanned the fur. The data came up on the screen.

"Well, It's definitely animal, but also human." Alex said reading the screen. "Is that possible?" She asked looking to Nick.

"Let's test the DNA from the blood, and then run the results through Interpol, and see what comes up." Nick said typing in the commands. Alex just stared at the screen, her head in another world. "Whatcha thinking about?" Nick asked, grasping her hand.

"It's just scary to think that there's a creature out there, half human and half animal, stalking people." Alex said looking into Nick's hazel green eyes.

"Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you."

"You can't protect me 24/7, Nick" Alex said smiling at the thought.

"Oh, you just watch me." They both smiled. This time it was Alex who leaned over for a kiss. Alex who gently slipped her tongue into Nick's mouth, which he eagerly accepted. He rolled her chair to his, and grabbed her face, locking it to his own. Nick released Alex's mouth, and pulled her from her chair, onto his lap, letting her straddle him. Nick, with Alex still on his lap, slid to the floor. They were so entangled and lost in one another they hadn't heard Philip enter the room. It wasn't until they heard his whistling, that they stopped and scrambled to take cover.

"Shit." Nick whispered as he and Alex huddled behind the terminal. Alex giggled, feeling like a teenager, about to get busted by her parent. After a moment to compose themselves, they popped their heads up above the table, and began to stand.

"Well, I guess I lost it." Nick said roughly running his fingers though his hair in an attempt to put it back in place. Alex pulled hers behind her ears.

"Yeah I guess so." Alex said, following Nick's lead. Philip looked at them, tickled and a little embarrassed, seeing that he had walked in on a private moment.

"Something I can help you find." Philip said, trying to conceal his laughter at the situation. Alex found it hard to contain hers, and coughed to cover her snickers.

"Naw one of my contact popped out and Alex was helping me look for it." Nick said. "Right  
Al." Alex just stared at him for a moment, amazed that Nick was trying to lie and doing it badly.

"Yeah, right." Alex said. Philip chuckled at the attempt.

"Did you find it?" Philip asked, smiling.

"No, but I have a spare in my room." Nick responded.

"A spare?" Alex repeated, in disbelief.

"Yes, and I better go put it in." Nick said smiling as he walked pass Philip and headed out. Before leaving he turned back to Alex, who was watching him leave, and gave her a wink. Alex started blushing. Nick left and Alex's eyes fell to Philip, who stood staring at her suspiciously.

"What?" Alex said sitting back at the terminal, and shifting her attention back to the computer screen.

"He lost his contact, and you were helping him find it. Nick doesn't even wear contacts." Philip said laughing as he leaned against the terminal. Alex too laughed dropping her head. "What if Derek had walked in, instead of me? What were you two thinking?"

"Derek would have believed the contact story." Alex replied now facing her friend. "And we weren't thinking, at least not with our heads."

"So, I guess this means you don't have anymore doubts, huh?"

"Oh I still have doubts, but when he kisses me, they seem to melt away, for awhile." Alex said sighing.

"Well, I think you've opened Pandora's box, and there's no turning back now."

"Who said I wanted to turn back?" Alex smiled even broader. Philip smiled.

"Well, I'm going out for the evening, and I probably won't be back until later. Will you two be able to control yourselves while I'm gone?"

"Are you kidding? With Derek in the house that won't be much of a problem." Alex laughed. "And where are you off to young man?"

"I have a date, with a nice young lass?" Philip said as Alex arched her brows.

"Really, anyone I know?"

"No. Not yet, but I have a feeling you will, and soon. Her name is Amber, and she's a lovely lass." With that Philip walked out.

**Later in the control room:**

Alex had been at the terminal most of the day. Both Nick and Philip had come and gone several times, but she had remained. She was trying to find any links between the attack that had occurred in the park, and any that may have happened in the past few months. After well over an hour of searching, an article came up. She buzzed Derek from his office. Within seconds Derek walked in.

"Alex, you wanted to show me something?" Derek said coming and standing behind her, looking over her shoulder.

"Yeah, I found another attack, similar to the one in the park last night." Alex said looking up at him. "According to this, a hiker was attacked last week in Ashville, NC. Up in the Appalachian  
Mountains." Derek stared at the screen with drawn brows, reading the article. "Luckily," Alex continued. "The hiker survived, telling the same story, that some half man, half beast had attacked her."

"It seems we have a couple of connections. One being, that women seem to be the targets. The other, they all claim some Bigfoot like creature was their attacker."

"Yeah, but North Carolina is quite a ways away. If this is the same creature, how the hell did he get here, in San Francisco, and why?" Alex stated. Derek arched a brow.

"That's what we have to find out, and before this thing get a chance to really hurt or kill someone." Derek started walking back toward his office. "See if there have been any other attacks, between North Carolina and Here."

"I'm on it." Alex said, turning her attention back to the computer as Derek returned to his office. Moments later Nick walked in with a sandwich and milk.

"Hey, I thought you might be hungry." Nick said. Alex looked up at him, and smiled. She took the food, and accepted a kiss from Nick, who leaned down and planted one on her lips. "So, you come up with anything yet?"

"Yep. It seems that there was an attack, like the one here, in the mountains of North Carolina."

"When was this? I was there last week, near the Asheville, Black Mountain area." Nick said now reading the article his self.

"My God that's exactly where the attack was reported to have happened. Wait a minute, I don't remember you going on a case in NC."

"It was when Derek sent me looking for the Aztec dagger, that is believed to have the ability to heal, but only if you killed someone with it first."

"But I thought you went to New York for that." Alex said a little confused.

"I did, but I just did miss the guy who had the dagger. I tracked him to the mountains, but I could never get close to him to grab the dagger. The guy had it on a chain around his neck. I guess he  
realized just how powerful it was, and wanted to keep it safe. Anyway, one night chasing him down a mountain trail, he must have got behind me somehow because he suddenly came out of nowhere, and hit me and knocked me out cold. When I woke I had a pretty nasty scratch across my back, and the guy and dagger were long gone, the trail was cold by then so I came home."

"My God Nick, you may be the connection." Alex said, just as Derek re- entered the room carrying some case file.

"Connection to what?" Derek asked

"Our Bigfoot." Alex answered, standing. "Nick was in the mountains in the same exact area during the time of the attack in Asheville. He was tracking down that Aztec dagger."

"Yes I remember, but I thought." Derek began only to have Nick cut him off.

"The guy with the dagger had already left New York by the time I got there, but I was able to track him to the Black Mountains." Nick said, folding his arms. "But I don't recall hearing anything about an attack, while I was there."

"Is it possible that this thing followed Nick back here?" Alex asked with worry on her face.

"I'd say that it is quite possible." Derek stated.

"But Why?" Nick asked. "I don't think I'm its type." Nick smiled. Alex frowned and smacked him across the chest. "Aww."

"This is serious Nick. This thing could be after you." Alex said, twirling her finger around a curl.

"You still haven't answered why. I mean what would Bigfoot want with me? I never even saw the thing." Nick asked, chuckling.

"I honestly don't know," Derek said, walking closer. "But I don't believe in coincidences. So, we need to find these 'Bigfoot' as you call it, and find out what it really wants, and hopefully stop any further attacks."

"How do you propose we do that?" Nick asked.

"Bait it." Derek said smiling, and then Nick started smiling, getting the meaning. Alex stared at them both, then she too realized.

"I know you're not suggesting we use Nick as bait." Alex said, shocked.

"Why not?" Nick asked.

"I can't believe you're volunteering. Are you crazy?" Alex turned to face him. "This thing has already killed once and seriously hurt three other people, and those are just the ones we know of. And now you want it to come after you."

"If as you say Nick's the connection and it means stopping it from hurting or killing others, then I think it's a risk we should take." Derek said. Alex shot him an ugly look.

"What about it hurting or killing Nick, it's his life you're talking about risking." Alex said her anger flaring.

"Alex, you're letting your personal feelings towards Nick cloud your judgment." Derek began, but Alex cut him off short.

"This has nothing to do with Nick and I as a couple. Nick is my friend. He's my family. That's why I care, not because I want to jump his bones." Alex stomped out of the room, mad at both men. Nick threw Derek a shrug and then quickly followed her into the hallway, grabbing her and spinning her to him.

"Al, this is something I have to do. I could never live with myself, if I somehow brought this thing to San Francisco. What if someone else got hurt, and I could have done something to prevent it. This could be what my dream was about, Derek's right it's just too much of a coincidence."

"But what if it hurts you?" Alex asked looking into his eyes, frightened by the thought.

"The worst that will happen is we'll wrestle, I`ll kill the monster, and get a few booboos, just like always. However, on the bright side, I'll have you to kiss the booboos for me, later." Nick said jokingly. Alex smiled a little too. "All and all, I think I'm going to get the better end of the deal."

"I still think it's a bad idea. That there has to be a better solution."

"Well, I'm open to any that you have." Nick said, playing with her curls. "Besides, Derek will be there to back me up."

"And so will I." Alex quickly said. "Don't even think about telling me I have to stay behind."

"I wasn't going to. I'm going to need all the help I can get." Nick said as they walked down the hall. "Remember what you said back there, you know about jumping my bones." Nick asked smiling. Alex too smiled, and then got a blank look on her face.

"Ahh, no. I don't remember saying that." Alex said with a huge smile on her face. "Come on I'm starving." Nick stopped, smiling as he watched Alex walk on, heading down the stairs. She looked back and gave him a wink. With a chuckle Nick hurried to catch up with her.

**That night, near the park:**

Derek, Nick, and Alex had been in Derek's Ford Explorer, staking out the park for two hour, to no avail.

"I don't think the big bad wolf is coming." Alex said, sitting in the front with Derek rubbing at her neck. Nick reached over and started massaging her neck and shoulders. "So, now what?"

"Well, maybe we should turn in for the night, and try it again tomorrow night." Nick said ending the massaging with a kiss to Alex's neck.

"You two, head back to the house, and finish looking for ways of stopping this creature." Derek said hopping out of the car.

"Where are you going? You're not staying out here without backup." Nick said, getting out also.

"Nick, I can take care of myself. You take Alex home, and try to find another solution to this problem." Derek said, smiling.

"How will you get back to the castle?" Alex asked, still sitting in the car. Derek smiled, pulling his cell phone from his pocket.

"I'll call a cab." Nick ran he fingers through his hair, which was something he did when he was frustrated.

"I don't feel right leaving you out here alone and unprotected." Nick said still standing at Derek's side.

"Well, give me your gun." Derek said, holding out his hand. Nick reached around his back, and pulled his gun, handing it to Derek. "Feel better? Now go, I'll call if I find anything." Still a  
little reluctant, Nick got into the driver's side, cranked the car, and drove off. Derek stared after the car, wondering if this was a good Idea, but knowing it was too late to turn back now. He moved into the far brush, where he planned to lay in waiting for the creature. Derek had made revelation he hadn't cared to share with Nick nor Alex. He believed the creature was trying to mate, and that it being in San Francisco was purely random, and had nothing to do with Nick. He had also figured that the creature would return to the scene of its previously successful attack. Derek didn't have long in his thought before he heard rustling in the bushes across from him.  
He stared in amazement as a man emerged from the bushes, sniffing the air, as if getting ready to hunt. Derek's eye caught a glimmer of something around the man's neck, and then watched in horror as the man started growing hairy. "My God!" Derek whispered to himself, beginning to understand what was happening. He had to tell Nick and Alex. He pulled out his cell and started dialing the house.

**Back at the house:**

Nick and Alex had made it home safely, but both were still worried about Derek. They wanted to call him, but feared the creature may hear the ring, and attack him. Alex had decided to go up and take a shower, and get ready for bed. Nick went to the kitchen to make them some hot chocolate, and take it to the den, where Alex was to meet him. Up I her room, Alex had just stepped out of the shower, and was drying off. She went to her drawer and pulled out her satin gown, which showed a lot of cleavage, and a lot of legs. She smiled as she looked at herself in the mirror, and wonder if it was too sexy. Down in the kitchen, Nick was busy making the cocoa, when a sudden pain gripped at stomach.

"Ahh!" He yelled out, dropping the tray with the mugs of cocoa on it. Nick fell to the floor, reaching aroud to claw at the pain in his back. It felt like his skin was on fire. "Ahh!" Nick rolled around on the floor as the burning sensation increased, and he pulled his shirt from his body. Alex was now on her way down the stairs. She was about to step into the parlor, when Nick appeared at the base of the stairs, bare chest and grinning at her. "Hello beautiful." He said in a near growl. Alex smiled back at him, but the smile soon left her face, as she noticed Nick's eyes. The pupils of his eyes were slits, like cat eyes, and they were almost glowing green. Alex took a step backward up the stairs.

"Nick?" She called out his name, more as a question than a statement. Nick stepped up the stairs, still smiling at Alex. Fear gripped at Alex as she continued moving back up the stairs. "You're not  
funny. So, where did you get the eyes?" Nick just shrugged and kept coming.

"There's something I want to show you." Nick said, creeping up the stairs.

"What?" Alex said in an almost whisper.

"Your insides." Nick said smiling. Alex then turned and ran up the stairs. Nick didn't run after her, but kept at the same pace. "Good. Run. I love to hunt." Nick made it to the top of the stair as the phone began to ring, with Derek on the other end. Nick walked to the nearby table and picked up the phone. "Hello, I really can't talk right now. I'm busy hunting. Bye now." Nick said, and then hung up the phone and continued on with him quest. Alex ran into one of the bedrooms to hide. She went inside the closet, into a secret panel, hidden in the wall. It was an escape route, mainly for Kat. Alex crawled inside, and started inching her way through it. The path led down into the study.

**Downstairs:**

Alex stepped into the parlor and looked around for Nick, who was nowhere to be found, and then she bolted for the door. She had gotten her hand on the doorknob when she was yanked back by her hair. "Aww!" She cried out as she was pulled to the floor, and drug back into the study.

"Now you weren't going to leave the party so soon, were you?" Nick asked, grinning down into her face.

"Nick what's happening? What's wrong?" Alex wept, still being drug. Nick stopped in front of the fireplace, which was lit. He released Alex's hair, and squatted next to her. Alex began sitting up. She looked towards the door, ready to make another run for it.

"I wouldn't do it if I were you." Nick said, seeing the look on her face. "Next time I have to chase you, I won't be so nice." Alex settled in on the floor, pulling her knees to her chest, and hugging  
her self. Alex stared at Nick, and suddenly noticed that he was covered with patches of what looked to be fur.

"Nick what happened to you?"

"Nothing, you just seem to bring out the animal in me." He said, reaching out and stroking her arm. "And I'm hungry."

"Nick, listen to me. This isn't you. You don't want to hurt me." Alex began pleading and Nick cocked his head to the side.

"No I don't want to hurt you. What you think…think I want to eat you." Nick started to laugh. "Oh no love, that's not what I meant when I said I was hungry. I guess hungry isn't the right word. No, horny is more appropriate." He licked his lips as he stared down at her breast. He watched them rise and fall, in rhythm with her breathing. He reached out for her, pulling her roughly to him.

"Nick, don't do this. Fight it Nick, this isn't you." Alex pleaded. Nick stared at her, but was deaf to her words. His lust was now in control. He grabbed the front of her gown, and ripped it away,  
exposing Alex's breasts. Alex instinctively put her arms up to cover her nakedness. Nick smiled at the shame he smelled in her. Nick grabbed at her arms, lifting them above her head. He pinned her to the ground, placing most of his weight on her. Alex struggled against him. Her tears stung her eyes, and panic gripped her heart. As she looked up into the eyes of the man above her, she saw a stranger. This wasn't Nick, but a man meaning to do her harm. This man planned on raping her. He held her hands in place above her head with one hand, Nick used her other hand to lift Alex's gown. "Oh God! Nick, Nick please fight it. Please don't do this. Not like this." Alex cried, but she could see that her pleads were useless. Suddenly they heard a noise in the parlor. It was the door being opened and and then shut. Nick stopped and sniffed the air. He leaped up, and began to stalk from the room. "Help me! Somebody please help me!" Nick turned back to her, and put his fingers to his lip, shushing her.

"Hush. I don't want you to scare off our guest. You stay right there, I'll be back in just a second. Remember if I have to chase you down again, I won't be so gentle." Nick then resumed his task of seek and destroy.

"Alex! Alex where are you?" Philip called out having heard Alex's screams. He hadn't gotten far into the parlor, before nearly bumping into Nick. Nick smiled at him, and Philip quickly noticed his eyes and new body hair.

**Back at the park:**

Derek tried dialing the number again, but just got a busy signal. He stood wondering what Nick was talking about. He was hunting? Suddenly images began to flood his head as a vision nearly over took him. "This creature is the man that Nick was chasing, for the dagger. Nick said it attacked him, scratched him so…My God, Alex!" Derek swiftly started to call a cab to get him back to the castle, but before he could finish dialing he was knocked down. He quickly rolled over to find the creature lurking nearby, readying itself to pounce. Derek got up on one knee, bracing him self for another attack. Swiftly the creature jumped on Derek. Derek struggled to keep the creatures fang filled mouth away from his head. Derek reached out for the dagger, which he tore from the creature's neck. The beast knocked it away from Derek's hands. Derek reached for it and the creature kicked him in his side. Through the pain, Derek rolled on his stomach and grabbed the dagger. He rolled back over just as the beast leaped onto him, and onto the dagger. The creature lay motionless atop Derek, who shoved him aside. Derek watched as the creature began to turn back into a man. Derek staggered to his feet, and ran to a nearby street as he dialed for a cab. He didn't have too long a wait within five minutes a cab pulled up, coming from the next street over. Once inside the cab, Derek promised an extra hundred dollars if the cabbie stepped on it, which the driver did. Derek prayed it wasn't too late.

**At the house:**

"Nick? Hey buddy what's going on? Where's Alex?" Philip asked, slowly backing up, and at the same time scanning the room for any signs of Alex.

"In the study, by the fire. We were about to make love. That is before you interrupted us." Nick said not moving but watching the man before him, intensely. Alex suddenly appeared in the doorway of the study. Philip gasped as he saw the tattered garment that she held up the cover her bare chest. Nick smelled her presence, and turned to glare at her. "I thought I told you to stay put." He hissed. He moved to her, and Philip tackled him to the ground.

"ALEX, RUN!" Philip yelled to her, as he fought to hold Nick. Alex hesitated not wanting to leave either of them, fearing that both could get severely hurt. "GO!" Philip yelled more sternly.  
Alex then turned and ran to the front door, opening it, and running out of the house. She didn't bother running to the three cars parked in the front. She wouldn't leave them. She decided to search the grounds for one of the security guards to help contain Nick. Back inside Nick's anger grew. He maneuvered himself on top, and smashed Philip's head on the marble floor beneath them, knocking him unconscious. He swiftly ran to the door, and out into the night.

"ALEXXXX!!!" Nick yelled. Alex, at hearing the yell, turned. She stood frozen for a second then she ran faster to get to the other side of the grounds where the guards were now patrolling. Nick picked up her scent and ran after her. He smiled, loving a good chase. Alex hadn't been the only one to hear the roar. The cab had come up the driveway. Derek told the cabbie to stop, and after paying the man in full, he got out of the car. From the short distance, Derek witnessed  
Nick standing in the doorway yelling, and then running across the ground to the backside of the house. Derek ran after him. Alex ran faster, her feet trying to keep up with the pounding of her heart. Her tears slightly blurred her vision. She could hear him close behind her, laughing and growling. Alex stopped and turned. She was hoping to talk to Nick. Reason with him and get him to snap out of the obvious spell he was under. When she turned around no one was there. She suddenly felt someone glaring at her from behind she slowly turned to find Nick standing there, smiling devilishly at her.

"Oh Alex, you've been a naughty girl. I think I'm gonna have to spank you." Nick said. Alex slowly backed up, stumbling over her feet. She fell to the ground, and Nick fell on top of her. There was no hesitation in his motions. He quickly tore at her gown, exposing her breast which he licked, kissed, and suckling. Alex fought; pulling at his hair, scratching and clawing him.

"Nick! Stop it, please fight it Nick." Alex screamed. Her head reeled, and she knew she was on the verge of passing out. Alex stared up in to the sky as she lost her will to fight. Then she saw a form appear over Nick's shoulder, holding something above its head. Alex just watched as the form struck Nick, causing him to crumble to the ground beside her.

"Alex? Alex can you hear me? Are you ok Alex?" Derek called to her as he took off his coat, and laid it across her. Alex was in a daze, as she was coming around she turned to look at Nick who rolled around on the ground crying out in pain.

"Nick." Alex said at first in a whisper. She sat up and crawled to him. She noticed blood on his back. "Nick!" She said now with urgency in her voice. She touched him, holding her hand over the open wound on his shoulder. She looked up for the first time noticing Derek. "What did you do to him? God help him!"

"He's going to be OK, Alex." Derek said, placing his hands on Alex's shoulders. She shrugged him off.

"He's bleeding to death!" Alex said glaring at him.

"No, he's healing Alex. I used the dagger on him. I killed the beast with it first." Alex calmed down, remembering what Nick had told her about the healing powers of the dagger. She looked back to Nick, who was no longer bleeding, nor cover with patches of fur. His wound had completely healed. Nick began to sit up, rubbing his arms, which ached.

"Nick, are you OK?" Alex asked, reaching out and touching his arm. He quickly turned to her, startled. He noticed that beneath the overcoat she wore her clothed were torn, and bloody. He moved to her.

"Oh my God, Alex are you ok?" He asked as he reached out and grasped her arms. "What the hell happened?" He questioned further as he searched her over.

"You don't remember?" Derek asked. Nick just shook his head as he kept looking over Alex.

"Who did this to you." Nick asked. Alex embraced him, her tears flowing freely.

"The creature. He knocked you out, and attacked me, but Derek fought it off. Right Derek?" Alex lied and hoped Derek would go along. Derek smiled wearily, and nodded. "But I'm fine. A little cold but fine." Alex said.

"You fought it off, so it could still be here, I want to do a sweep of the grounds," Nick said.

"I stabbed it," Derek said as he held up the bloodied knife. "I don't think it could survive the blow I gave it. When we get back to the house I'll put the guards on alert. If' it's still on the island we'll find it, but I honestly think the only thing they'll find is a body, which I'm sure the Foundation will have the cleaners come in to retrieve. Right now we need to get you both inside and get you looked at."

Nick gave a nod as he helped Alex to her feet. Holding her close to him, they walked back to the house. Derek walked a short distance behind them. They made it to the door just as Philip came stumbling out, blood running down his face.

"What the hell happened to you?" Nick asked. Philip just stared at him in concern. Philip then noticed Derek.

"It's OK Philip." Alex answered the question she saw in his eyes. "Every thing's OK now."

"Great." Philip said, collapsing in the doorway. Nick and Derek both rushed to him, helping him back to his feet. Nick looked to each of them.

"Will someone please fill me in here?" Nick said.

"It's just been one hell of a night. It's a full moon." Derek said, looking up into the night's sky.

**The next Morning:**

"So do you ever plan on telling him the truth?' Philip asked from as he leaned against the door jamb of Derek's office door drinking his morning cup of coffee. Derek had just finished his report on the previous night's events and sat at his desk hold the Aztec dagger in his hand.

"Not if Alex has any say in the matter, no." Derek finally answered. "It's makes it a bit easy considering that Nick doesn't remember anything about what he did." Philip nodded his understanding. "I don't know how Nick will take the news that this creature had followed him here to San Francisco, and that it was he and not the beast that attacked Alex.

"I'm still confused about why you think this thing followed Nick here."

"I believe it thought of Nick as it's family, after it attacked him in the mountains, scratching Nick, it infected him somehow. As we now know Nick was transforming into whatever this thing was. I think this was also the reason it felt the need to assault all those women, I think it was trying to claim a mate to make an offspring."

"So it was lonely?" Philip asked and Derek nodded his head. "Then why didn't it just infect more people by scratching them, like it did with Nick?"

"Maybe it didn't know it could. Nick might have been totally accidental, all of the other male victims were perceive as competition or maybe a threat and so they were slaughtered. Somehow Nick survived the attack but was infected and began a slow transformation process. I suspect there was a link between him and beast that the beast felt instantly and was drawn to Nick from that moment, and began tracking him."

"What happened to the body, you said when you killed the beast it transformed back to its human form, right?"

"Yes I left it there because I was in a hurry to get here to the island because I knew when I called that something was wrong. I called in some cleaners to retrieve the body before I left, but when they got there it was gone. I've check with our source in the coroner's office and no bodies matching my description was ever brought in."

"It's not often that we solve two seemingly separate cases at the same time. How exactly did our Bigfoot get the dagger in the first place?" Philip asked the question that had been bugging him ever since Derek had told him the full story.

"I honestly don't know and I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, as they say." Derek said with and smile. "Both cases have officially been closed, that is once I've handed in the reports. Where are Nick and Alex? I want to turn in their reports when I turn in mine."

"Still sleeping I think," Philip stated.

**Upstairs:**

She sensed eyes on her and for a brief second her foggy mind became alarmed but then she remember whose bed she was lying in and a smile crept upon her lips as she slowly opened her eyes. "Morning," She spoke through a sigh.

"Good morning sleeping beauty." He replied as he continued watching, which he had been doing ever since awakening three hours before. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, how 'bout you?"

"Yeah, for the first time in weeks I had a sound nightmare free sleep, and I think it had a lot to do with the arm I was sleeping in." He answered honestly and she smiled broadly at him.

"I'm glad." She replied and then they briefly fell into a comfortable silence.

"Alex, I need to tell you something. I know that there are things that happened last night that you are keeping from me," He began and her shoulders instantly stiffened as she braced herself for the conversation she never wanted to have with him. "I know you don't want to talk about and I swear I won't push the subject. But I just can't help feeling like I caused it all, that thing attacked you, was here on the island because of me."

"Nick please don't blame yourself. I don't blame you because it wasn't your fault. Derek was able to stop it, he killed it, it's over now." Alex tried to comfort him.

"I'm just thankful that you're ok I don't know what I would have done if anything had happened to you." Nick said as he reached out and stroked her cheek.

"I'm fine and I've never felt more safe than I do at this moment, lying in your arms." She said as she leaned in closer to him and captured his his lips in a sensual kiss. He welcomed her touch and instinctively opened his mouth and deepened the kiss. When he heard a moan escape her lips he quickly pulled back. "What...What's wrong?" She asked as she reached out and touched his arm.

"I'm sorry after all you've been through the last thing you need is me groping you." He apologized.

"First of all I told you I'm fine, really I am, second you weren't groping me, and third I wouldn't complain if you did. Nick we've been taking our 'new' relationship slowly, making sure that we were sure, well I'm sure, I want to be with you Nick. But I understand if you don't..."

"No! I mean yes I want to, I've wanted to for sometime now. God sometimes I can just look at you and I get so ha..." He abruptly ended that train of thought but Alex caught his meaning and a cinnamon hues crossed her face, accompanied by a smile. "I just wasn't sure that you were ready." He continued.

"Well now you know that I am. I want to and you want to, so..." Her words were cut off as Nick leaned in and recaptured her lips. This times both of them groped at each, as Nick settled himself above her body and laid them both back against the pillows. They spent two hours making love with the birds singing outside the bedroom window, attesting to the new morning and new beginning for the young lovers.

**Fin**


	8. Episode 8: Dreams

Author's Note: Thanks to the wayback machine I have found some more of our old fics and decided to share it. This particular episode was actually before 'Full Moon', but it's a stand alone and so it still flows OK following 'Full Moon'. Hope you enjoy and please review.

* * *

**Episode 8: Dreams**

A dark haired man pushed Paula into a pool, holding her down under the water. Paula struggled against him, grasping for air. She was drowning. Paula woke up screaming and drenched in sweat. Viviane heard her daughter's screams, and jumped out of bed, rushing into her daughter's room. She sat down at the edge of Paula's bed. "Shh. It's okay, sweetie." Viviane said as she stroked the teenager's hair.

"Mom, I had the dream again…being pushed into a pool by a dark haired man." Paula started to cry again. Her mother held her tight. "I'm afraid to go back to sleep."

"I'll stay with you darling. Try and get some sleep." She said as she tucked in the frightened girl. Viviane lay down next to her daughter. She was relieved to see Paula drift off to sleep. Viviane felt her eyelids get heavy.

"No, no. Please, John don't hurt me. I'll never see Jack again, I promise." Paula cried out in her sleep. Her mother heard her cry out and shook her awake. "What?"

"Paula, sweetie, you were talking in your sleep." Her mother replied. She noticed that Paula was shocked by that."

"What did I say, mom." The thirteen year old asked as she sat up. She had never talked in her sleep before.

"You said, 'No, no. Don't hurt me, John. I'll never see Jack again…promise.' Viviane replied.

"What's happening to me? Am I going crazy?" Tears were brimming in her almond shaped green eyes.

Her mother held her tight and said, "We'll get to the bottom of this. I think it's time that you talk to some one about this."

She asked in a shocked tone, "You mean a shrink?" Viviane nodded her head. "You think I'm crazy don't you?" Paula moved away from her mom.

"I don't think that you're crazy, darling. I think that you need to talk to some one about your dreams. Okay?" Paula nodded her head. "You have to get up for school in a couple of hours, try and get some sleep." Viviane re-tucked the youngster. She was really worried about her child…was the fourth time in two months that she had come into Paula's room and now the child was talking in her sleep.

San Francisco-Angel Island

Philip and Nick were jogging on the grounds of the Legacy house. "So you and Alex are an item?" He asked his friend.

"Yup. You're not goin' try and steal her away from me, are you Phil?" Nick stated in a joking fashion.

"I think I just might. Don't know what she sees in a lad like you, anyway." He replied back.

Nick reached out and punched Philip in the arm and said, "Very funny, Phil. It's been a long time since you've had a date. Think you'll know what to do?"

"As a matter o' fact, I got a date this afternoon…goin' to a hockey game and then out to eat. I may even get to first base." He said as he grabbed Nick into a headlock, causing them to tumbled to the grass. Alex came outside and saw the two of them from a distance. She walked over to where the two men were playfully wrestling each other on the ground.

"Boys, are ya done playing? Derek's ready to start the meeting." Alex said to them. She was laughing as Nick pulled her on the ground. "Hey what did ya do that for?"

Nick tickled her on her stomach. "Why should you miss all the fun? Right, Phil?" He nodded and started tickling Alex as well. She roared in laughter.

**The Conference Room:**

Derek and Rachel were waiting for Alex and the others. Derek was in a fowl mood. "What the hell's taking them so long?" Derek said in an aggravated manner.

"Relax, Derek. Alex went to find Nick and Philip." She stated to the precept. "What's with you this morning…did you get up on the wrong side of the bed?"

"I'm not in the mood to be psychoanalyzed by you, Rachel." He bellowed.

"Excuse me, Derek. I was trying to be a friend that's all."

"I'm sorry. Melinda was supposed to call last night. We were supposed to make plans to meet up in Boston. I really enjoyed her company when she was here." He said in a nicer tone. Nick, Philip, and Alex walked into the room disheveled and dirty.

"Hey, Derek and Rachel." They said in unison. Rachel had a smile on her face, but Derek was frowning. "Sorry we kept you waiting." They said to him.

The precept looked at them and said, "I bet you are. Sorry to disturb you from recess, children." He glared at Philip. Derek was shocked that he would behave that way…could see Nick and Alex playing in the grass, the way the two of them have been behaving lately. Philip glared back at Derek and was about to say something.

Rachel intervened. "Ok, we're all here now. So what did you want to talk to us about?"

"A package from Budapest arrived this morning. Nick, and Rachel I want you to scan the contents. Philip and Alex, I want you to decipher the scroll."

Nick replied, "Sure boss man."

Philip looked at Derek for a moment. "I can't do that, Derek. I have to shower and get ready for my date with Amber." Derek gave him a nasty look. "I'll help Alex when I get back from my date." He left the room and headed up the stairs for his room. Next he went into the bathroom put on the shower and took off his sweaty clothing.

Nick looked at Derek, Rachel, and Alex as he said, "Amber? Sounds like a name for a playmate." Rachel and Alex glared at him. "Well it does."

"Nicholas Boyle, I'm surprised at you for saying something like that. I thought you knew better than to judge women like that." Alex said. As an after thought, she replied, "And I'm shocked that you would read that type of magazine."

"I only read them during the Gulf War…had to keep my mind off of the killing. Also the playmates wrote to the soldiers at Christmas and other holidays…gotta love them for that." He said as he went through the hologram wall. Rachel followed right behind him. She was in a hurry because she had a new patient at coming at 4:00 since Kat was sleeping over her friend Tessa's house.

After an hour of scanning the goblets and other items from Hungry, Rachel said, "Nick, do you think you can do the rest by your self? I have errands to run before my 4:00 appointment." She slid her blond hair behind her ears.

"Sure, but you owe me one, Rach." She nodded and left the room. Derek entered the room.

"What do you have?" He asked Nick. He looked around then asked, "Where's Rachel? I thought she was helping you scan the items?"

"Rachel had some things to do before her appointment. Only thing in here are some goblets, plates and other items, made out of clay and bones." He said to the precept, whom he noticed didn't look too pleased. "Derek, is something wrong? You gave Philip dirty looks twice, and you just made a face when I said that Rachel wasn't here."

The older man ran his fingers through his graying hair. "I didn't hear from Melinda, and I was supposed to go to Boston for the weekend." He looked at Nick for a moment before he continued. "Have you noticed that Philip hasn't been himself since he returned to the Legacy?" Nick nodded and Derek continued, "I wanted to speak to Rachel about him that's way I made a face, as you put it, when I heard that she had left."

**Rachel's Office**

Thirteen year old, Paula Saint John wasn't too pleased by the fact that she had to see a shrink. She spent five minutes looking at the floor before she spoke. "I don't understand why I got to be here. So I had a nightmare and talked in my sleep. No biggie."

Rachel moved closer to the teen as she said, "Well, your mom is pretty concerned about you. What was your dream about?"

Paula twirled her long black hair around her finger. "A man with dark hair pushing me into a pool. I was struggling…grasping for air." She started to cry and hyperventilate. Rachel handed her a tissue and then hugged the girl.

"You're safe now, honey. Lie back and take some slow breaths." Rachel told the teenager in a soothing voice. Paula did what she was told. After a few minutes passed, Rachel said, "That's all for today, but I want you to come back tomorrow." Paula nodded as she rose from the couch. Rachel walked her out.

**Angel Island**

Philip walked into the library and found Alex hard at work deciphering the scroll. "Hi, Alex. Having any fun?"

She looked up and replied, "Hi, Philip. No, I'm not having fun." He sat down next to her. "How was your date with Amber?" She asked him needing a little break from the scroll.

Philip smiled. "I had such a great time. It's been such a long time since I had any fun. Amber is a nice girl and very attractive." Philip smiled, devilishly.

"I'm glad you had a good time, Philip. So are you going to ask her out again?" Alex asked him.

"Oh definitely. I really like her." Philip said, smiling. Alex smiled back at him. She was happy to see Philip doing new thing, discovering himself. "So, how 'bout we work on the scroll. Derek wasn't too pleased when I said that I had a date and wouldn't be around to help you." He stated as he got to work on translating the scroll. He didn't feel comfortable talking about his love life with Alex that was something he wanted to discuss with Nick.

Paula was doing her homework at 8:30 when she heard a voice call out "Helena, where are you?" It freaked her out that she ran into her mother's room with tears in her eyes. "Mom, I heard a man's voice call out Helena. What's wrong with me, mom?" Her mother hugged her tightly and then kissed her cheek.

"I don't know, sweetie. You have an appointment with Dr. Corrigan tomorrow. Do you like her?" Viviane asked her daughter.

"Yeah. She's nice." Paula said yawning. She rubbed her eyes and said, "I'm tired guess I'll go to bed now. Good night, mom." She kissed her mother on the cheek.

Viviane said to her daughter, "I'm here if you need me. Sleep well." Paula left the room and went back to hers. She got into bed and snuggled up with Snoopy, her favorite stuff animal. She drifted off to sleep and dreamt about the dark haired man. "_Helena, where are you? You know you can't hide from me…sooner or later I'll find you. Helena,_ _come to me."_ There was such anger in the man's voice. He was coming close to finding her…that's when Paula woke up screaming, "No. No. Please don't hurt me!" Her mother heard her screams and ran into her room. She sat down on the bed and held her daughter tight.

"I'm here, baby. I got you, sweetie. Calm down." Viviane told her in a reassuring voice.

Paula looked at her mom with fear in her eyes and asked, "Can I sleep in your room?" Her mother nodded and Paula jumped out of her bed still clutching her stuffed animal and went with her mother to her room.

The next morning, Angel Island:

Alex and Philip were still working on the scroll when Derek came down to the library. "Were you two at it all night?" The precept asked arching his brows.

Philip got up and stretched. "Yes. Not much to report I'm afraid. The name Helena was mentioned about ten times." He told Derek.

Derek looked at Alex who was falling asleep at the table. "Alex, why don't you go get some sleep. I'll take a look at it." He stated. He then looked at Philip. "Philip, I'd like to talk to you for a moment alone." Alex took the cue and rose from the table and headed to her room. On the way there, she bumped into Nick.

"You look like hell, Al." He told her in a concerned tone. She made a face at him. "Oh don't get me wrong, it's a sexy look for you." Nick said, smiling.

"I feel like hell, thank you so much for noticing." Alex said, slapping him on the chest as she passed. "I'm going to bed, want to keep me company?" She asked him. With a smile, Nick, went with her to her room.

Once Derek and Philip were alone, Philip asked, "What is it that you wanted to speak to me about?"

He looked at the young man for a moment before he spoke. "You don't seem to be yourself lately…not since you returned to the Legacy. I know that you're not a priest anymore and that there were a lot of things you missed out on like dating, but you can't let that interfere with your work with the Legacy."

"I'm sorry, Derek. I'll take Amber out Friday and Saturday nights ok?" He replied, hoping to end the conversation.

"The evenings for the most part belong to you, but I need your full attention during the day." He told him. He noticed that Philip looked like he was going to drop. "Go get some rest." Philip left the library and headed for his room. Derek sat down and got to work on the scroll.

**Rachel's Office**

Paula sat down on the couch. "I had a dream last night that freaked me out." She told Rachel in a small voice.

"What was it about?" She asked the girl.

"A man with dark hair screaming the name Helena. Saying where are you…I'll find you…I always do. He sounded so angry and was coming close…that's when I screamed." Paula started to cry as she continued. "When I was doing my homework last night, I heard some one call out the name Helena. Am I going crazy?" Rachel rose from her chair and sat down next to Paula and hugged her.

"Is this the first time you heard a voice, Paula?" The girl nodded. "How are things at home between you and your mom?" Rachel queried.

Paula played with her hair as she answered, "Fine, but I miss my dad, wish I could see him more often. I wish that he and my mom hadn't got divorced."

"The divorce has been hard on you could be why you are having nightmares, honey." She told her as she rose from the white couch. "I want to see you again tomorrow." Paula got up and put on her denim jacket. Rachel walked her out and said to her, "If you have another dream and it scares you, call me. I don't care what time it is."

"Ok, Dr. Corrigan." She said as she left.

**Angel Island**

Derek was still at work on the scroll when Philip came back down from his nap. "Derek, any luck figuring it out?" The Irishman asked sitting down.

"Not much. The artifacts belonged to a Helena De Carlo." He replied getting up from the table.

"Dr. Rayne, you have a call from the Boston House precept. Do you want me to take a message?" Eve asked.

"No, Eve. I'll take it myself." He walked to his office with an enormous smile on his face. He was hoping that he was going to Boston after all.

After Derek left, Philip went back to work on the scroll.

Paula was in her room listening to the Backstreet Boys when she heard "_Helena, how dare you look at another man. You belong to me. Get back here, Helena._" Paula saw the dark haired man brandishing a knife. She ran out of her room to go look for her mother. She checked in her mother's room, but she wasn't there so she went downstairs and on the kitchen table she saw a note…_Went to visit a sick friend at the hospital. I'll be back in an hour. Love, Mom._ Paula went over to the phone and dialed Rachel's number.

"Rachel Corrigan." She answered.

"Dr. Corrigan, it's me Paula. I heard the man again… was saying Helena you belong to me. Get back here, Helena…saw him too…my mom isn't home, and I'm scared." She told her hysterically.

"Calm down honey. You saw him? What did he look like?" Rachel asked.

Paula took a deep breath. "He's tall and dark. He had a knife in his hand. I'm scared."

"It's ok. I'll be right over." Rachel told the girl and hung up the phone and then dialed Derek's cell phone."

"Derek Rayne." He said.

"Derek, it's Rachel. A patient of mine has been hearing a man's voice calling out the name Helena and saw him tonight with a knife in his hand. I'm going over there right now. Would you mind tagging along?"

He ran his fingers through his graying hair. "Yes, I would since the scroll, which Philip, Alex, and I have been trying to deciphered has that name mentioned at least fifteen times."

"What you think there's a connection?"

"It's possible. I'll be at your place in fifteen minutes." He replied and hung up the phone. He left his office went to the closet and put on his black leather coat headed out the door got into his Range Rover and drove to Rachel's place.

Rachel called Emily and asked her to come over and watch Kat. Moments later, both Derek and the babysitter arrived at Rachel's at the same time. Rachel and Derek got into his minivan and drove over to Paula's house. "What does the parchment say about Helena, Derek? Is there any mention of a man?"

"The items which you and Nick were scanning belong to a Helena De Carlo. Her father, Dimitri gave them to her, as a wedding present." He replied.

"Well, from what my patient has been saying seems like Helena's husband was possessive and even dangerous." She stated as they arrived at Paula's house. Rachel and Derek got out of the Range Rover walked to the front door where Rachel rang the doorbell. Paula opened the door, and Rachel saw that she was in a bad state. The girl was shaking, very pale, and her eyes were enormous with fear. Rachel put her arms around Paula and led her to the beige velour couch. "Take some deep breaths, honey. You're safe now." The teen did as she looked at Derek.

"Who's he?" She queried in a frightened voice.

"Paula, Dr. Rayne is a colleague of mine. We're here to help you, honey." Rachel told the girl in a reassuring tone. Derek sat down on the couch and looked at Paula.

He asked, "Paula, do you mind if I ask you some questions?" She shook her head. "What did the man say to you tonight that frightened you? Where did he appear?"

She played with her hair. "He said '_Helena how dare you look at another man! You belong to me. Get back here, Helena.' _He had a knife in his hand. I see and hear him only in my bedroom." She replied looking at both Derek and Rachel.

"Do you mind showing us your bedroom?" Paula looked at him with fear in his eyes. "Do you mind if I go up to your bedroom?"

"No. It's upstairs. The second door on the right." She told him. Derek rose from the couch headed upstairs to her room, which had posters of the various boy bands and teen female pop stars. He felt a presence in the room…an angry one. Suddenly, images flooded his head. Images of a fight between Helena and her husband…"_John, I won't see Jack any more. I promise._"… John had a knife in his hand and was chasing her around the room…she knocked him out with a flowered vase. Derek left the room and headed back downstairs. Paula was asleep on the couch so he whispered to Rachel, "I saw the man. His name was John, and apparently Helena was seeing another man, named Jack, which made John angry, and he was chasing her around the room with a knife. She knocked him out, and then vanished."

Rachel looked at the sleeping girl and asked, "Do you think he might try and hurt Paula?"

"There's a possibility of that happening. She should stay in another room for the time being. I'm going to call Nick and Alex, have them dig up records in the Legacy database." He told her rising from the couch walking outside as not to disturb the sleeping child. Derek took out his cell phone from the pocket of his black leather jacket and dialed the Legacy house.

Nick was in the control room scanning the objects when the phone rang. "Nick Boyle." He answered.

"Nick, I want you and Alex to dig up information on Helena De Carlo and find out if she had a husband named John." The precept told his young colleague.

"Will do, Derek." He said then hung up the phone. He walked over to the computer terminal punched in the name John De Carlo and the information appeared on the screen was born and raised in Italy came from a wealthy family was a gambler went to Budapest where he met and fell in love with sixteen year old Helena Aranka. After they married, they moved to the U.S. settled in San Francisco. Nick rubbed his eyes. "Man, am I tired." He thought to himself. He left the control room and headed for the kitchen for a coffee and a snack. Nick was almost finished eating when Alex came into the room in her purple robe. "Hi, Nick. I was waiting for you. I thought you'd be done with this by now." Alex said, sitting down next to him.

Nick kissed her and replied, "I was in the control room finishing a scan on the artifacts Derek gave us, when he called. He asked me to dig up info on a John De Carlo. He believe the man's Helena's husband. I really could use your help." He got up from the table walked over to the sink and placed the plate and mug into the sink and headed for the control room. Alex followed close behind him.

Paula was dreaming about being at a party with the tall dark haired man. Her hair was done in a French knot and was wearing a Tierra. She was dressed in a floor length golden beaded dress and around her neck was a diamond necklace. "_Helena, you are exquisite. All the men can't take their eyes off of you._" He whispered in her ear. She replied, "_That was so sweet of you John, my darling. You look so handsome yourself._" Some time later, John went to get them punch and a tall, faired hair man approached her. "_You are by far the prettiest lady here. I'm Jack De Balzac._" Helena blushed a little. "_Thank you so much, Jack. I'm Helena De Carlo._" She told him smiling.

"_Meet me outside by the water fountain in fifteen minutes._" He told her, and she nodded her head. Jack went outside just before John came back with their drinks. He lovingly kissed her neck. "_ Having a good time my dear?_" He asked her, and she simply smiled back at him. A group of men walked towards them and started talking to John, who was so engrossed by their conversation didn't notice that his wife wasn't by his side any more.

Helena went outside to meet Jack by the water fountain. "_I didn't think you would come, Helena._" He stated to her. "_I wasn't going to but my escort is all tied up for the moment. It's a lovely evening._" Helena replied looking up at the full moon. Music was coming from the inside. "_I love this song. May I have this dance?_" He bowed. "_You may have this dance._" She bowed and they danced for hours. "_I have to go now before my escort comes looking for me._" Helena said walking away from him. "_I'll see you again?_" He asked her. She nodded her head blew him a kiss. "_Till the next time we meet, Jack._"

Paula woke up screaming, "Jack, Jack I love you. Don't leave me." From inside the kitchen, Rachel heard her screams, and rushed up the stairs.

"Did you have another dream?" Rachel asked the girl as she sat down beside her.

"Who are you and what are you doing in my house?" She demanded of the stranger in a Hungarian accent.

Rachel looked at her with concern. "Paula, it's me, Dr. Corrigan." The girl stared at her with a confused expression on her face.

"Who's Paula? I'm Helena, and I want you out of my house before my husband comes home." She screamed at the lady, who was still sitting on the couch staring at her. "Leave before John, my husband comes home. He doesn't like it when I have company." Paula/Helena rose from the couch and headed upstairs to her room. Rachel followed right behind her. Upstairs in her room, Paula/Helena was throwing objects around and saying, "What has happened to all of my beautiful things from papa."

Rachel yelled, "Paula, stop it right now." She looked at Rachel with such anger. The girl picked up a book and threw it at her.

"Stop calling me Paula…I'm Helena. I told you to get out of my house. John will be here at any moment." She said to the blond. She looked at what she was wearing and said, "I'm such a mess, my hair isn't done, and I'm not in any of the fancy dressing gowns that John likes." She walked over to her closet and went through all the clothing. "Where are all my dresses and nightgowns?" Paula/Helena threw the clothing on the floor. Rachel walked over to the girl and grabbed her by the shoulders.

"Paula, listen to me, fight Helena. She's taken control of your body." She told the girl. Darkness engulfed Paula, and she fell to the ground. Rachel checked her vitals, which were weak. She picked up Paula and carried her to her bed where she gently placed her down and covered her with the blanket.

Five minutes later the teen woke up in her bed. "How did I end up in my bed?" She queried. Paula looked around her room, which she noticed was trashed. "What happened to my room?"

Angel Island

Nick, Alex, and Philip were in the control room looking at a picture of Helena De Carlo when Derek entered through the hologram wall. He gasped in shock when he saw the picture. "It looks exactly like Rachel's patient Paula." The precept stated.

Philip looked at the Dutchman as he said, "I deciphered the scroll…somethin' about reincarnation and possession. It seems Dimitri was against his only daughter marrying John De Carlo. He didn't trust him. When Helena invited him to America to visit her and John, he saw the way John mistreated her and what a temper he had. Dimitri was afraid that John would kill Helena."

"Yeah and when he finally did, Helena's father cursed the house. Mainly the room Helena died in. Dimitri swore his daughter would return every thousand years, on the date of her dead." Alex said.

"Let me guess, the anniversary is tonight?" Derek asked, and Alex nodded her head.

Nick added, "This guy, John, was into roughing people up at bars and nightclubs. He was also a big time gambler and an over all bad ass."

Derek looked at Philip as he asked, "How does possession play into all of this?"

"Well, we weren't sure, but now that you've told us that this young girl is identical to Helena, and lives in Helena's room. I don't know, maybe Helena's sees this as an opportunity to be reborn again

Nick interrupted, "That's where the reincarnation part comes in. So Helena may have been Paula in a past live?" Nick shook his head.

"Well, we've dealt with this before, when Alex nearly became possessed by Labelle." Derek told the others. Derek looked at Alex and asked, "Do you know how she died, Alex?"

She shook her head. "There was no mention of that in the archives. So you think this is like what I went through, that this spirit is seeking revenge, or justice of some kind, and it's using this girl to do it?"

"It's quite possible, yes." Derek said, arching his brow.

Nick suggested, "Maybe Rachel can hypnotize Paula to find out how Helena died." Rachel entered the control room and was shocked at what she saw on the projector screen.

"Why is there a picture of Paula on the screen?" She asked moving her hands.

"It's not Paula, Rachel, it's Helena." Alex replied playing with her black curly locks.

"She looks like a spitting image of Helena." Rachel said looking at the screen then she turned to Derek and said, "After you left, Paula had another dream…screamed Jack, I love you…don't leave me. She became Helena, Derek."

The precept arched his brows. "Dimitri put a curse on that house, in grief over the death of his daughter, Helena. Now her spirit has possessed a young female, who sleeps in Helena's bedroom. Paula may be a reincarnation of Helena, that's why she's having these visions, Rachel. I think she reliving her past." Derek stated.

"Which would explain the dreams she's been having. In our first session, Paula told me that a tall and dark haired man pushed her into a pool."

Nick folded his arms across his chest. "Do you think that's how she died?"

Derek replied to the young man, "Could." He then looked at Rachel and said, "Paula should not be in that house." His cell phone rang.

"Derek Rayne." He said. A big smile crossed his face, when he heard Melinda's voice. "I'll be there with in the hour." He flipped it closed. "Nick and Rachel, I want you to go to Paula's, bring her and her mother here. Alex find out exactly how Helena died, and Philip take another look at the scroll, maybe there's something in them that will tell us how to end the curse." Derek ordered as he headed out of the room. Nick got up from his chair, and he and Rachel left the control room out the front door. Alex and Philip went to work on their tasks. Alex checked the archives again to see how Helena died this time she used Helena's maiden name and an article on how she died came up on the screen. Alex went to find Philip to see if she could help him with the scroll. She found him at the table in the library. "Hey Phil, need any help with that?" She asked sitting down next to him.

"I found out how to end the curse, but I don't know how to read ancient Arabic too well." The Irishman stated to his friend as her ran his fingers through his brown hair. "Did you find out how Helena died?" "Yeah. She and John were having an argument, and she ran out of the house into the backyard. He came after her started pushing her, and she fell backwards into the pool. According to a witness, Helena begged her husband to help her because she couldn't swim. He told Helena that he would help her if she stopped seeing Jack…she refused and he let her drown." Alex stated tears filled up in her black eyes. Derek entered the library with Melinda who resembled Megan a little.

"Philip and Alex, this is Melinda." The two of them rose from the table.

"Nice to meet you, Melinda." Philip said as he outstretched his hand.

"Hi, Melinda." Alex outstretched her hand as well. Derek turned to Philip and asked, "Did you find out how to end the curse?" "Yes, I did, but the bloody thing is in ancient Arabic, which I can't read too well. Can you read it, Derek?" He said handing the parchment to the precept. Derek looked at it and shook his head. Rachel, Nick, Paula and her mother entered with Paula fight them.

"Unhand me this instant. Who are you people, and why have to kidnapped me?" Paula/Helena said finally pulling away from them. "You must take me back, before my husband comes home, and finds me missing. Please." A frantic look came across her face.

"Paula…Helena, we just want to help you. To set you free." Rachel stated.

"Free? What do you mean, set me free. Free from John, and this hell known as my life." Paula/Helena asked.

"Yes. Is that what you want?" Derek cut in. Paula/Helena looked at him for a moment, and then nodded her head. "Good." Derek said, turning back to the other and the scroll. "She won't resist, which will make this easy. If we can translate it, that is."

Melinda said, "I know how to read ancient Arabic…spent some time in the Middle East as a child." Derek looked at her pleasantly surprised. He handed her the scrolls. She began reading the scroll, and a white light surrounded Paula/Helena.

"What is happening to me?" Paula/Helena asked, stumbling back, frightened. The light grew brighter, and wider, totally enveloping her. A form appeared in the light.

"Helena? Is that you my daughter?" A man spoke. Paula/Helena turned to the form, which was over shadowed by the light.

"Father, is that you?"

"I'm so sorry for cursing you to dwell in such hell, but now it's time for you come home." Paula/Helena smiled as she walked to her father. Helena's soul left the teen's body as a light, which joined the light form of her father. Then, as quickly as it had started, it ended. The light disappeared. Paula fell to the floor unconscious. Rachel and her mother rushed to her side. Rachel checked her pulse, which was weak. After a few shakes, the girl woke up.

"Is it over?" She asked. Rachel nodded.

"Yes sweetheart. It's all over now." Rachel said, stroking the girl's hair. "You'll sleep much better tonight and won't be hearing voices any more, Paula, honey."

Journal of Dr. Rachel Corrigan:

Nov. 13th, 2000

_Since joining the Legacy, I've found that the world is full of tools, to help people to be cruel. In Helena's case she, a mere child, suffered at the hands of her abusive husband, who ended up killing her. Then, instead of finally having peace, she was cursed, by her father, who loved her, and didn't want to lose her, to dwell the earth forever, and forever reliving her horrible life. In his grief, and love her father used the dark side to try and set things right for his daughter, but only made it worse. I guess evil, even through the purest of hearts and with the best of intentions, still ends up making everything it touches, ugly._


End file.
